Bean ciorbă with leek and zucchini

Ingredients

• 300 g dried beans
• 4500 ml water for boiling the beans
• 500 g smoked pork ribs with bone
• 2000 ml water for the ribs and soup
• 1 medium red onion (150 g)
• 1 medium carrot (100 g)
• 15 ml olive oil
• 1 leek (250 g)
• 1 zucchini (300 g)
• 30 g tomato paste
• 8 g flour
• 30 ml Maggi bors
• 30 ml cold water
• 1 teaspoon Vegeta
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 10 g lovage
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 15 g fresh parsley
• 150 g sour cream

Preparation

1. Rinse 300 g dried beans and boil them for 10 minutes in 1500 ml water. Drain and repeat the boil two more times, each time in 1500 ml fresh water. 2. Pat the smoked pork ribs dry with paper towels and cut them into pieces. Boil over medium heat in 2000 ml water for 60 minutes, until the meat comes easily off the bone. Keep the cooking liquid. 3. Finely chop the red onion and cut the carrot into rounds. Sauté them in 15 ml olive oil for 5 minutes, until softened. 4. Add the drained beans and pork ribs to the reserved cooking liquid, then add the sautéed onion and carrot. Simmer for 45 minutes, until the beans are tender. 5. Cut the leek into rounds and grate the zucchini, skin on, using the coarse side of a grater. Mix the flour with 30 ml cold water, 30 ml Maggi bors and the tomato paste, then pour the mixture into the pot. Add the leek, zucchini, Vegeta, sweet paprika and white pepper. Simmer for another 10 minutes. 6. Add the dried tarragon and lovage, then season to taste with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped parsley. Serve the soup with sour cream and red onion salad.