Bean soup
Bean soup is a traditional Romanian dish that brings together simple yet flavorful ingredients. This recipe is easy to prepare, and the result is a hearty soup, perfect for cool days. The ingredients needed to prepare this delicacy are accessible and can be easily found in any market or supermarket.
To start, you need 500 g of beans. It is advisable to choose white or red beans, depending on your preferences. Before you start cooking, soak the beans in cold water for at least 6 hours or, ideally, overnight. This will reduce the cooking time and help achieve a more digestible soup.
In a large pot, add the drained and rinsed beans, along with 2 liters of fresh water. Place the pot over medium heat and let the beans boil. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables: 1 medium carrot, 1 parsnip, 1 celery root, and 1 onion. Peel the vegetables and cut them into cubes or slices, as preferred. When the beans start to boil, add the chopped vegetables to the pot, along with 2-3 bay leaves, salt, and pepper to taste. Let the soup simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 1-1.5 hours, until the beans become soft.
To enhance the flavors, you can also add a diced bell pepper and 2-3 crushed garlic cloves about 15 minutes before turning off the heat. This will bring a note of freshness to your soup. Finally, don't forget to add a handful of freshly chopped parsley for an extra touch of flavor and color.
Bean soup is usually served with a slice of fresh bread or polenta, and for those who prefer, a splash of vinegar or lemon can be added to give it a pleasant acidity. This soup is not only tasty but also nutritious, being an excellent source of protein and fiber. Try this simple and flavorful recipe and enjoy a comforting meal full of traditional Romanian flavors!
The beans are sorted to remove impurities, washed, and left in cold water the night before, for about 12 hours. The carrots, onion, celery root, and stalk are cleaned, washed, and chopped finely. The parsley and green lovage are washed and chopped finely. The tomatoes are washed and cut into thick wedges. The beans are boiled in water; after 15 minutes of boiling, the water is removed, replaced with another boiled water, and boiling continues. Meanwhile, the onion, celery, and carrots are sautéed in oil and the tomatoes are added to them. When the beans are half-cooked, the sauté is added along with the soup powder, salt, and pepper. Finally, a bunch of lovage and the green parsley are added and boiled for another 2-3 minutes. Optionally, two tablespoons of tomato paste or lemon salt, or both can be added along with the soup powder. The bean soup is served hot in a soup pot, with green lovage on top.
Ingredients: 500 g. beans, 150 g. onion, 200 g. carrot, 100 g. celery root, 3 pcs. fresh tomatoes, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 100 g. oil, 5 g. lemon salt, 2-3 celery stalks, a pinch of beef broth concentrate (or beef flavor), 2 bunches of fresh lovage, one bunch of fresh parsley, salt and pepper to taste
Tags: soup recipe bean soup bean soup
