White Bean Soup (Grosh)

White Bean Soup (Grosh)

This is an traditional Albanian dish that is cheap to make, although takes a long process. Different parts of Albania have different names for the bean soup such as Fasule and Jani me Fasule. The beans are great for keeping in the cupboard as they don't start to lose their life for a good year.

Grosh, toast / bread, salad and a glass of Raki. Perfect.

4 People

3 Hours

Ingredients:

-                 250g Cannellini Beans (Dry)

-                 3 - 4 Litres Boiling Water

-                 3 Tbsp Tomato Puree

-                 2 Large Onions (Diced)

-                 4 Tsp Salt

Directions:

Place the beans in a large saucepan (approx 6 litres deep or more) and fill with water. Put onto a high heat and bring to the boil. Add half a teaspoon of salt.

Once boiling, keep at the boil for the full 3 hours of cooking. Stir occasionally adding a litre of water each time the water reaches a low level (approx every 30 minutes). Add half a teaspoon of salt as well.

Meanwhile, fry the onions in a pan. Once starting to brown, add the tomato puree and continue to cook for a further minute.

Once the beans have been boiling for 2 hours, place the onion mixture into the pot and stir.

When there is 30 minutes left, leave the water to boil down until 3 hours is up. You should then have roughly a quarter of the pot filled with the soup when finished cooking.

The consistency of Grosh is more liquid like then soup.

Note: Some beans only take 2.5 Hours to cook, most beans will be fully cooked at 3 Hours. When cooked the beans are soft.

Tomato Soup (Supë Me Domate)

Tomato Soup (Supë Me Domate)

This is delicious soups to eat and easy to make. It’s super easy and only requires a few ingredients. Definitely a staple for a cold fall day or even an chilly spring day.

Here is what you will need:

-                 Three to four medium tomatoes

-                 Couple garlic cloves

-                 Large onion

-                 Chicken breasts or chicken tenders

-                 Handful of rice

-                 Deep soup pot

-                 Boiling water

Directions:

Start by setting a kettle to boil water. You will need this later so its important to have hot water ready to go. Now finally chop the garlic and onions and sauté with a little olive oil.

While the onions are sautéing, dice the tomatoes and leave them on the side. Now dice the chicken and add it to the onions. Let the chicken sauté for about 5 minutes with the onion. Add the tomatoes to the onions and chicken. Mix real well and pour in the water. Fill the pot with water to the top and then add in salt and pepper, or if you have some handy add Vegeta.

Always, always make sure to taste and don’t add any more water after this. Once the soup has come to a boil lower the heat and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes. This allows all the flavors to mesh together as well as the chicken to fully cook. At this point you can add in the handful of rice. Refrain from adding too much rice or it becomes a rice stew. I’ve made this mistake a few times so trust me a handful of rice goes a long way.

After the soup is allowed to simmer give it a taste to make sure its properly seasoned and check that the chicken is fully cooked. Now you will be tempted to have some but be careful cause its really hot!

Enjoy!

Croatian Bean Soup (Grah i Varivah)

Croatian Bean Soup (Grah i Varivah)

This Croatian bean soup recipe makes such a thick end-product, it's more like stew, and that's why it's known as grah i varivah (literally "beans and stews") in Croatian. It can be eaten as a main meal, but many people eat it as a hearty soup and then dive into the main course.

Any type of smoked meat or sausage will do, but smoked rib meat is traditional and yields the best flavor. Also, try using a combination of dried beans, but pinto, cranberry, or kidney beans ​typically are used.

Serve with hearty bread and you have a filling meal, especially welcome when there's a nip in the air. The beans must be soaked overnight, so plan accordingly.

• Total: 3 hrs 5 mins
• Prep: 5 mins
• Cook: 3 hrs
• Soak Time: 8 hrs
• Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried beans (rinsed, picked over, and soaked overnight)
• 12 to 15 cups cold water
• 3 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
• 1 large onion ( chopped)
• 1 pound smoked sausage (Croatian, like kranjska, kobasice, or smoked Polish sausage like kiełbasa krajana, cut into 4-inch lengths)
• 1 pound smoked ribs (or meaty smoked ham hocks)
• 1 large bay leaf
• Salt, pepper, and Vegeta to taste

Steps to Make It

1. Rinse the beans and pick them over to remove shriveled beans, bits of rock, and any other matter that doesn't belong there. Place in a large bowl or pot and add cool water to come about 3 inches above the beans. Cover and soak overnight at room temperature. Alternatively, use the quick soak method.
2. When you are ready to prepare this recipe, drain the beans, rinse them, and drain again. Place in a large pot and add 12 cups fresh cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
3. Add garlic, onion, smoked sausage of choice, smoked ribs or meaty smoked ham hocks, bay leaf, salt, pepper and Vegeta seasoning powder to taste.
4. Return to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 2 to 3 hours or until beans and meat are tender. Add water as needed, while cooking, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove bay leaf and discard. Remove bones from rib meat or hocks and return meat to the pot. If soup isn't thick enough, continue to simmer until desired consistency is achieved.
6. Serve in heated bowls with hearty bread and a glass of beer.

About Vegeta Seasoning

Vegeta is made in Croatia by the Podravka company, which describes it as an "all-purpose seasoning made from a special blend of the finest vegetables, herbs, spices and select natural ingredients."

It is the go-to seasoning in Balkan and Slavic Eastern European countries used to flavor foods from soups to veggies to meats and poultry. For some, the problem lies in one of its ingredients—MSG, which can pose a real problem to people allergic to it. Now, the company makes a No-MSG-Added Vegeta, but it still contains loads of sodium.

Homemade sodium-free, MSG-free Vegeta is very similar to the one manufactured by Podravka without all the salt. Real veggies are roasted until dehydrated and then whizzed into a powder. The resulting mixture is stored in a screw-top jar in a cool, dry place.

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
505	Calories
22g	Fat
47g	Carbs
31g	Protein

See Full Nutritional Guidelines

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Serbian Lamb Vegetable Soup (Chorba od Janjetina)

Chorba od Janjetina: Serbian Lamb Vegetable Soup

This Serbian Lamb Vegetable Soup (Chorba od Janjetina) is based on meaty lamb bones, and then the recipe varies from household to household.

It can include a trinity of green peppers, onions, and tomatoes and then be enriched with egg yolks and sour cream. Other variations include rice without tomatoes and the broth is left ​uncreamed.

After platters of cevapcici sausages and peppers are passed, lamb soup is often the first course of a splendid Serbian Easter feast, with lamb in a starring role, either roasted or spit-roasted.

The soup can also be made with meaty bones leftover from a roast lamb dinner or spit-roasted lamb, although the flavor will be somewhat different.

This recipe calls for 2 whole egg yolks. Just freeze the leftover egg whites and use them in other recipes.

• Total: 2 hrs 15 mins
• Prep: 15 mins
• Cook: 2 hrs
• Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lamb shanks ( or shoulder or necks, cut up)
• 4 quarts water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 large parsley root (peeled and chopped)
• 3 medium carrots (peeled and chopped)
• 2 ribs celery (chopped)
• 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
• 2 medium tomatoes (peeled, seeded, and chopped)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (or canola oil)
• 3 medium onions (chopped)
• 1 medium green pepper (chopped)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Salt (to taste)
• Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• Paprika (to taste)
• 2 large egg yolks
• 8 ounces sour cream

Steps to Make It

1. Wash 2 pounds cut-up lamb shank, shoulder, or neck meat and place in a pot with 4 quarts of water and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a boil, skimming off foam. Reduce heat to simmer.
2. Add 1 large chopped parsley root, 3 medium peeled and chopped carrots, 2 ribs chopped celery, 1 clove finely chopped garlic, and 2 medium peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes. Return to a boil, reduce heat and continue to simmer 2 hours or until meat is tender.
3. Prepare a (roux) by heating 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil in a medium saucepan. Add 3 medium chopped onions and 1 medium chopped green pepper, and saute until tender. Add 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour gradually, stirring constantly until light brown. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika to taste.
4. Temper the zafrig by adding a little hot soup to it and stirring constantly until smooth.
5. Pour the zafrig back into the soup pot, mixing thoroughly and simmering until dissolved about 15 minutes. Turn heat off and remove soup from the burner.
6. Beat 2 large egg yolks until thick and lemony in color. Add 8 ounces of sour cream and mix thoroughly.
7. Temper the egg yolks with a little hot soup, stirring constantly until smooth.
8. Pour the tempered egg yolks into the soup, stirring until the soup has thickened slightly.
9. Remove bay leaves and serve in heated bowls.

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
579	Calories
39g	Fat
21g	Carbs
36g	Protein

See Full Nutritional Guidelines

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)