This flavorful Hungarian soup features beans, smoked bacon, smoked meat, and vegetables like onions, tomatoes, carrots, and celery. It’s typically seasoned with vinegar and sour cream. If you’d like to try making it, here’s a simple recipe. Feel free to adjust the flavors to your taste.
Ingredients:
- 1 white onion
- garlic
- 250g smoked bacon lardons
- 2 potatoes
- 2 carrots
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground caraway seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cube of vegetable stock
- 235g butter beans
- 500ml water
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- 100g plain flour
Method:
Wash and dice the vegetables (carrot, onion, garlic, and potatoes). Heat a little oil in a pot. Fry the bacon lardons for 3-4 minutes, and take them out to a plate. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant. Pull it on the side, add paprika and caraway seeds, and mix them in. Add the sliced carrots, vegetable stock cube, bay leaf, butter beans, and potatoes. Pour in water to cover the vegetables. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Mix 1 tablespoon plain flour with sour cream and a little water, and stir it in the soup.
To prepare the pasta for this soup, combine 100g of plain flour with 1 egg and a pinch of salt. Knead the mixture together until it forms a smooth dough. Once it’s ready, pinch off small pieces and place them on a cloth, or plate as shown below.
Drop the pasta in the soup, and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes. Add the parsley, and the fried bacon at the very end. Serve with extra sour cream, if you like. Enjoy!
Q&A
How long can leftovers be stored?
After cooling you can keep this soup in the fridge for 3 days. It’s very easy to reheat it, maybe add a bit of water to it.
Is there a vegan version?
To make vegan bean soup, substitute the sour cream with plant-based yogurt. Don’t use bacon, and maybe add more vegetables, like courgette, pepper, tomatoes.
Are there any regional variations or personal twists you recommend?
There are many variations of bean soup. Some people add vinegar, or use different beans (kidney beans, cannellini beans, etc.), sometimes they use different smoked meat in the soup, to add some smoky flavor.
More Soup Recipes
Soups are very healthy, and easy lunch or dinner options. Explore more soup recipes here:
Cold cherry soup
Cold raspberry soup
Savoy cabbage soup
Bean Fun Facts
- Beans are packed with nutrients such as protein, fiber, and essential minerals. They’re an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and low in fat, making them a fantastic addition to a healthy diet.
- Bean plants can add nitrogen to the soil, thanks to a symbiotic relationship with bacteria. They’re environmentally friendly and essential for sustainable agriculture.
- Beans have been cultivated by humans for over 6,000 years.
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