Ciorbă de păstăi cu coaste afumate (Romanian soup)

Name: Ciorbă de păstăi cu coaste afumate (Romanian soup)
Ingredients: 1 kg green beans; 30 ml oil; 1 large onion (180 g); 2 carrots (160 g); 1/2 celery root (250 g); 2 kapia peppers (300 g); 4 large tomatoes (800 g); 400 g smoked pork ribs; 250 ml water; 2250 ml water; 3 garlic cloves; 15 g parsley leaves; 10 g celery leaves; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Soups - Ciorbă de păstăi cu coaste afumate (Romanian soup) by Teodora K. - Recipia

Ciorbă de păstăi cu coaste afumate, a Romanian green bean soup with smoked ribs, simmers in one pot with green beans cut into pieces and sautéed vegetables. The tomatoes and ribs make a hearty broth, and I break the beans into pieces about 4 cm long so they’re easy to scoop up. Preparation: 25 minutes. Cooking: 62 minutes. Total time: 87 minutes. Servings: 6. About 360 kcal and 22 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

1 kg green beans
30 ml oil
1 large onion (180 g)
2 carrots (160 g)
1/2 celery root (250 g)
2 kapia peppers (300 g)
4 large tomatoes (800 g)
400 g smoked pork ribs
250 ml water
2250 ml water
3 garlic cloves
15 g parsley leaves
10 g celery leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Preparation

1. Trim the green beans and break them into pieces about 4 cm long. Wash the onion, carrots, celery root, peppers and tomatoes, then dice them. Trim the ribs and cut them into pieces. 2. Heat 30 ml oil in a large pot. Sauté the onion, carrots, celery root, peppers, green beans and tomatoes one at a time, for 10 minutes in total, stirring until the vegetables soften. 3. Put the ribs on top of the vegetables and pour in 250 ml water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. 4. Add another 2250 ml water and simmer the soup over medium heat for 45 minutes, until the green beans are tender and the meat comes easily off the ribs. 5. Slice the garlic and chop the parsley and celery leaves. Add them to the pot along with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then cook for 2 more minutes.

Notes

The soup keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in a covered container. Reheat it on the stove over low heat. Serve it with fresh bread, perfect for dipping in the broth with tomatoes and smoked meat. Choose firm green beans that snap easily; very large ones can have thicker strings, which are best removed along with the ends. Young green beans usually cook faster, so start checking them for tenderness after 35 minutes. Smoked ribs may already be salty, so taste the broth before adding more salt. If the tomatoes are unripe and tart, use them anyway, but add half the salt at the beginning and adjust the seasoning at the end. You can replace the kapia pepper with 300 g red bell pepper. Yellow green beans work in the same quantity; the soup will be just as hearty, with a somewhat lighter-colored broth.