This Easy Bulgarian Royal Pickle (Royal Torshi or Torshiya) is a pickled vegetable dish that will add a perfect crunch and acidity to any plate. Torshi is easy to make with this traditional recipe, it has wonderful flavours and, like Kimchi, is good for the human gut because of the good bacteria it contains. It is a must-have dish on your winter menu.

Some variations of Torshi are made by Lacto-fermentation, like the sauerkraut, but in this recipe, we pickle the vegetables in vinegar. All torshi require ageing before they are ready for consumption and are not processed thermally.

HISTORY OF THIS VEGETABLE PICKLE.

Torshi is a traditional dish in most Balkan, Arab, Afghan and Iranian cuisines.

The name torshi is derived from the Persian word torsh, which means sour. All Balkan languages adopted the name with phonetical variations: Turkish turşu; Greek τουρσίtoursí; Albanian turshi.

Torshi was introduced to the Balkans by the Ottomans and became deeply rooted in the Balkan culinary traditions. In Turkey alone, there are over 100 varieties of turşu sold in specialised turşu shops.

Traditionally torshi is served as a substitute for salads in winter or as an appetiser and meze to raki (rakia) or ouzo.

HOW TO MAKE EASY BULGARIAN ROYAL PICKLE TORSHI?

📋 INGREDIENTS IN THE BULGARIAN ROYAL PICKLE

Balkan torshi typically contains cabbage, peppers, cauliflower, celery, carrots, cornichons (baby cucumbers), green tomatoes, olives, and more.

Adding fresh herbs like coriander or parsley brings freshness and green flavours to the torshi.

In this Royal Torshiya, I recommend using double the amount of cauliflower as the rest of the vegetables because I know from personal experience that pickled cauliflower is everyone’s favourite and goes very quickly.

I like to use white wine vinegar in this Torshi, because the red vinegar tints the vegetables, but any good quality pickling vinegar can work in this recipe. Good vinegar for pickling is Cider vinegar, Wine vinegar, Distilled vinegar and Malt vinegar, as long as they have 5% acidity.

📖 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Making any kind of torshi is pretty straightforward. The most important rules are to choose good quality healthy vegetables, wash them well and chop them into bite-size pieces or use them whole if they are small. Pack the vegetables in large sterilised jars, cover in marinade and let the torshi age in a cool and dark place. View detailed instructions below:

Step 1: Sterilise the jars before packing

Start by washing the jars in warm soapy water, then rinse them well in warm water. To sterilise jars, you can use a pressure canner, a multifunction cooker, or an old-fashioned large stockpot.

I use the water bath method for sterilisation and canning jars and bottles, which involves boiling the jars in a large pot.

How to sterilise jars By the water bath method?

You can sterilise empty jars in many different ways, but the method I normally use is the water bath. This method of sterilisation has been used back home for over a century by my parents and grandparents.

To prepare for sterilising jars in a water bath, you will need a large stock pot that is deep enough to submerged the jars fully in water without the water boiling out. Pour boiling water from your kitchen kettle into your pot and place the pot on the hob.

Make sure your jars are warm, then drop them in the hot water with their openings facing down using canning tongs. The jars will quickly get full with water and will be easier to take them out of the pot without water left inside them. Pour more boiled water if needed to cover the jars with about an inch of water on top.

Bring the water in the canning pot to a full boil, cover the pot with a lid and set a timer for 10 minutes. The timing must start from the moment the water reaches a full boil. If the water is boiling too vigorously, reduce the heat until it comes down to a more gentle but full boil, otherwise they may crack. It’s best to use new lids, but if they have been used before sterilise them with the jars. Remove the pot from the heat after 10 minutes.

Let the water in the stockpot cool for a few minutes and fish the empty jars and lids out of the hot water with your tongs. Place all sterilised jars and lids upside down on a tray, lined with a clean tea towel, then cover them with another clean towel to prevent dust or dirt from landing on them.

Step 2: Prepare the vegetables

Always use fresh and healthy fruit and vegetables for the torshi and wash the vegetables very well. It’s also a good idea to soak the vegetables in water for 15-20 minutes before washing them, to ensure any dirt and pesticides are removed.

Cut the vegetables into bite-size pieces, and break the cauliflower into slightly bigger chunks as shown in the photos below:

STEP 3: MAKE THE BRINE

Before packing the vegetables, prepare the brine in the empty jars. Add vinegar, oil, salt, sugar and a little hot water to each jar, then whisk it well with a long spoon to dissolve and combine the ingredients.

Step 4: Layer the VEGETABLES in THE jarS NEXT

For a 1-litre jar, use 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar (or replace the sugar with a sugar alternative, like Stevia). If using smaller jars, reduce the amount of the ingredients accordingly.

Pack equal quantities of vegetables in the jars. Leave space to add extra cauliflower. Place the celery leaves on top.

Next, top the jars with boiled hot water from your kitchen kettle to cover the vegetables. Make sure your jars are warm, otherwise, they may crack and always leave 1-inch (3cm) of headspace in the stuffed jars. Wipe the jar rims clean and secure the lids on. You will need to use a plastic cup or something clever like a small saucer to keep the vegetables in place and stop them from floating. They must be submerged in the brine at all times. I used skewers here, but discovered they are not strong enough and not the best solution for the job.

Leave the packed jars of torshi in a cool dark place to age. The torshi can only be consumed when it is ready which will take 3-4 weeks.

Step 5: AgE YOUR vegetable pickle

Throughout the ageing of the torshi, turn and shake the packed jars vigorously every evening for a minute to blend the brine. This is important for the vegetables to absorb the flavours evenly.

After three weeks, taste the torshi to check if it’s ready. Aged torshi is crunchy, with sweet and sour flavours. If the vegetables taste bland and have not absorbed enough brine, leave the torshi to develop for a few more days. Continue turning and shaking the jars daily until the torshi is ready.

🍲 HOW TO SERVE ROYAL TORSHI

Torshi is a winter salad and compliments wonderfully all cooked meats. It’s a perfect side dish for casseroles or stews. In Bulgarian, torshi is served also as an appetiser with the local brandy, rakia.

To serve torshi, take the desired quantity out of the brine and rinse the vegetables under your kitchen tab to remove excess salt and sugar. Serve the vegetables in a small salad bowl and drizzled olive oil on top. Torshi goes a long way and you don’t need to serve it in large portions.

Enjoy! 👨‍🍳👨‍🍳👨‍🍳

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