Ciorbă de fasole cu ștevie, Romanian bean and dock soup

Ingredients

• 500 g dried beans
• 2500 ml water for the first boil
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2500 ml warm water for the second boil
• 1 medium red onion (150 g)
• 1 medium white onion (150 g)
• 1 red pepper (150 g)
• 1 green pepper (150 g)
• 1 carrot (100 g)
• 1 parsnip (100 g)
• 1/2 celery root (200 g)
• 1 can diced tomatoes in sauce (400 g)
• 100 g patience dock leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 45 ml oil
• 300 ml borș (Romanian fermented bran liquid)
• 20 g lovage
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 200 g vermicelli
• 15 g parsley

Preparation

1. Sort through the beans, rinse them and put them on to boil in 2500 ml water with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the baking soda. Once the water boils, cook for 10 minutes, then discard the water. 2. Put the beans back in the pot with 2500 ml warm water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Boil for about 75 minutes, until the beans are almost tender. 3. Peel and chop the onions, peppers, carrot, parsnip and celery root. Finely chop the dock and lovage. 4. Add the onions, peppers, carrot, parsnip, celery root, tomatoes, dock, thyme, tomato paste and oil. Boil for 20 minutes, until the vegetables soften. 5. Pour in the borș, add the lovage, pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Let the soup boil for another 5 minutes, then add the vermicelli and turn off the heat. 6. Cover the pot and leave it for 10 minutes. Serve the soup with chopped parsley.