Hungarian Bean Soup Recipes

HUNGARIAN GREEN BEAN AND POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Spray a large soup pot with cooking spray, put in it the beans, potatoes, stock, vinegar, honey, caraway seeds, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a ten-inch skillet. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the celery, saute another 2 to 3 minutes. Lower the heat slightly, and sprinkle the vegetables with the paprika. Let the mixture cook a minute, stirring constantly. Scrape the sauteed vegetables into the soup pot. Add a little soup liquid to the skillet and deglaze it, then scrape the pan contents into the soup pot. Remove the soup pot from the heat.
• When ready to serve, have the soup good and hot. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water and mix it to make a smooth paste, using your fingers if necessary. Stir this paste into the yogurt. Whisk a ladle of the hot bean stock into the yogurt-cornstarch mixture. Turn down the heat under the soup as low as possible, and stir the cornstarch-stabilized yogurt into the very hot soup.Using a wooden spoon, stir gently until the soup has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings (including honey and vinegar), if necessary, and to be sure there is no raw cornstarch taste. Serve hot with a rustic bread.

CREAMY HUNGARIAN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Soak navy beans overnight.
• Drain them and place in large soup pot with onions, leek, carrots, and garlic.
• Add water to an inch above the level of the beans. Bring them to a boil and then simmer, covered, until tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Make a light taupe-colored roux from the flour & butter in a small saucepan.
• Mix in the salt, pepper, and paprika. Ladle out 2 cups of the hot bean water and slowly stir it into the flour until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the beans, stirring constantly. Remove the soup from the heat and whisk in the sour cream and then the vinegar.
• Gently reheat the soup for about 10 minutes.

HUNGARIAN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Cover beans with water by 2 inches and bring to a boil. Let stand 1 hour, then drain. Cover with about 2 quarts water, add ham hocks, and bring to a boil. Cook until beans are very tender, about 1 hour.
• In a medium bowl, mix flour with enough water to form a smooth, thin paste. Stir in sour cream, then milk and mix well. Add the mixture to the beans. Add the vinegar. Bring soup to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper.