Crawfish soup from Oltenia

Name: Crawfish soup from Oltenia - stefana L.
Ingredients: 16 pieces of crayfish peppers approximately 4; 6 cm long; 500 g of leeks or yellow onions; 300 g of flour as needed; 50; 100 ml of water; 2 medium carrots; 1 parsnip; 500 ml of cabbage juice (plus an additional 1 liter for dressing/filling to taste); sunflower oil; broth to taste (I added two tablespoons); 100 ml of tomato paste; salt; pepper; dill; thyme; parsley.

Soups - Crawfish soup from Oltenia by stefana L. - Recipia

When the spring greens start to appear, I usually find those small, dried red peppers, known here as “raci”. They are not spicy at all, even though you might think so at first glance. I get them from my mother, who dries them in the fall on a string, in the sun and wind. I make this stuffed pepper soup (raci soup) a few times during fasting and I don’t change anything in the recipe because it works just as it is. Quick info Total time: about 1 hour and 30 minutes Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour Servings: 6-8 Difficulty: medium Recipe type: fasting/traditional soup, suitable for fasting periods or when you have dried peppers available Ingredients 16 pieces of dried raci peppers (approx. 4-6 cm each, not spicy) 500 g leek (or yellow onion) 300 g white flour 50-100 ml water (added as needed) 2 medium carrots 1 medium parsnip 500 ml cabbage juice (plus another 1 liter if you want to adjust at the end) 3 tablespoons sunflower oil 100 ml tomato paste 2 tablespoons tomato purée salt, pepper to taste dill, thyme, and parsley (to taste) Preparation steps 1. Bring a pot of water (half full) to a boil. When boiling, add the dried peppers and blanch them for a few minutes. If they are too crunchy and break, give them 2-3 boils, but don’t soak them completely. Drain and let them cool. 2. Carefully remove the stems and seeds of the peppers under running water. Make a small incision at the tip of each pepper (don’t cut all the way through) so they don’t burst while boiling. Place them upside down to drain. 3. Finely chop the leek or yellow onion. Heat the oil in a large skillet and sauté the onion/leek. Sauté until they become translucent, without browning them. 4. From the total amount of sautéed onion, set aside as much as would fit a medium onion. Keep this portion for the soup, not for the filling. 5. In the skillet, over the remaining onion/leek, add salt, pepper, and tomato paste. Mix well. 6. Add all the flour to the mixture and stir. If it’s too dry, gradually add cold water (50-100 ml, as needed) to obtain a consistent filling that can be shaped. Check for salt. 7. Fill each pepper with the obtained mixture, but don’t pack them too tightly. The filling will expand a little while boiling. There’s no need to seal the ends with flour (it doesn’t help much). 8. In a pot, bring 500 ml of cabbage juice and 1.5-2 liters of water to a boil. 9. Slice the carrots and cube the parsnip. When the liquid is boiling, add the vegetables and the sautéed onion saved in step 4. 10. After a few boils, add the tomato purée and, if the juice is too salty or sour, dilute it with water or cabbage juice, to taste. 11. Remove the pot from the heat for a short time. Carefully place the stuffed peppers in the soup so that they don’t break. Use a slotted spoon, don’t throw them in directly. 12. Put the pot back on the heat and let it simmer on low heat, without stirring, for about 30 minutes. 13. Finally, add chopped greens (dill, parsley, a little thyme), bring to a boil once more, and turn off the heat. Why I make the recipe often It’s one of the simplest fasting soups I know and doesn’t require sophisticated ingredients. The dried peppers give it a unique taste and aroma, and the recipe is filling. It keeps well in the fridge and can be reheated without issues. Tips and variations Tips - Don’t let the peppers boil too long before filling them, as they might become too soft and break. - Depending on how salty or sour the cabbage juice is, adjust the taste with water. - If you don’t have tomato purée or tomato paste, you can use just one of them, but the final taste will be slightly different. Substitutions - Leek can be replaced with yellow onion, with no major differences in texture or taste. - You can use only water (without cabbage juice) and vinegar at the end for sourness, but it won’t have the same specific taste. Variations - In some villages, a little rice is added to the filling, but the traditional recipe does not include it. - The greens can vary: some use only parsley or only dill. Serving ideas - It is served hot, plain, possibly with homemade bread. - It can also be served cold, especially the next day, when the sour taste mellows out. Frequently asked questions 1. Can I use fresh peppers instead of dried raci? No, it won’t turn out the same. Dried peppers have a unique texture and taste, and fresh ones don’t hold up as well to boiling. 2. How spicy is the soup? Raci peppers are not spicy at all, even though they are small and red. It’s a mild-tasting soup. 3. How can I make the recipe if I don’t have cabbage juice? You can sour it at the end with tomato juice, a little borscht, or vinegar, but the taste won’t be as specific. 4. Can I prepare the filling in the evening for the next day? Yes, the leek/onion and flour filling keeps well in the fridge until the next day. Nutritional values Estimate for one serving (out of 8): Calories: 220-250 kcal Proteins: 6-8 g Carbohydrates: 40-45 g Fats: 5-7 g The values are approximate, depending on the amount of flour and oil used. It’s a filling soup, rich in carbohydrates and relatively low in fats and proteins. Storage and reheating It keeps in the fridge, in a covered container, for up to 3 days. Reheat on low heat, without stirring too much, so the peppers don’t break. The soup does not freeze well, as the peppers become crumbly after thawing.

Crawfish soup from Oltenia

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