Bab Leves (hungarian Bean Soup)

Total Time: 4 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1/2 lb dried navy beans (or use quick soak method below) or 1/2 lb pinto beans, soaked in cold water overnight (or use quick soak method below)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 leeks or 1/2 onion, very finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1/2 lb smoked bacon or 1/2 lb smoked ham hock
• 4 cups smoked ham stock or 4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil or 2 tablespoons lard
• 2 tablespoons onions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon hungarian paprika
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vinegar

Recipe

• 1 quick soak method - boil beans for 5 minutes in enough water to cover them completely, then cover pan and let soak for 1 hour.
• 2 drain and rinse the beans and put them in a large pot.
• 3 add the salt, pepper, carrot, leek, garlic, and meat.
• 4 add stock plus enough water to cover 2" above the beans and meat; bring to a simmer.
• 5 simmer, partially covered, until the beans are tender (2 1/2 - 3 hours), adding water as needed to keep the beans covered; then remove meat to a separate plate.
• 6 in a heavy saucepan, melt fat or warm oil and sauté onions until they wilt.
• 7 mix in the paprika and then the flour.
• 8 gently fry, stirring constantly until flour turns golden beige (2-3 minutes) (be careful not to scorch the flour and not to get any on you).
• 9 add the parsley.
• 10 thin roux with 1/2 cup to a cup of the broth from the soup; mix well, then slowly pour back into the soup.
• 11 let simmer for 10 minutes (then if soup is too thin simmer for 5-10 more minutes; if too thick slowly add hot water and simmer for 2-3 more minutes).
• 12 remove from heat and let cool.
• 13 blend some soup into the sour cream to keep it from curdling when you add it, then add it to the soup.
• 14 mix in the vinegar and taste soup for seasonings.
• 15 cut the meat into bite sized pieces and return them to the soup.
• 16 reheat soup before serving.