Sour Bean Soup

Name: Sour Bean Soup (Fazulová polévka/Fazul’ová polievka)
Cuisine: Slovakian
Ingredients: 300 g/11 oz/1⅔ cups haricot (navy) beans, soaked overnight and drained; 2 bay leaves; 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed; 45 ml/3 tbsp tomato purée (paste); 45 ml/3 tbsp tomato purée (paste); 1 vegetable stock (bouillon) cube; 1-2 potatoes, peeled and diced; 2 x Polish or Hungarian sausages or 150 g/5 oz smoked bacon, chopped (optional); 2 x Polish or Hungarian sausages or 150 g/5 oz smoked bacon, chopped (optional); 5 ml/1 tsp salt; 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped; 50 ml/2 fl oz/¼ cup vegetable or sunflower oil; 50 ml/2 fl oz/¼ cup vegetable or sunflower oil; 15 ml/1 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour; 45 ml/3 tbsp white vinegar; 5 ml/1 tsp sugar; 200 ml/7 fl oz/scant 1 cup double (heavy) cream (optional); crusty bread, to serve

Fazulová polévka/Fazul’ová polievka

Preparation info

Serves
3-4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Czech & Slovak Food and Cooking

By Ivana Veruzabova

Published 2015

About

This is a very hearty Slovak recipe consisting of basic ingredients from the pantry. The soup would have been made of small haricot beans, but you can also use kidney beans or a mixture of the two.

Ingredients

300 g/11 oz/1⅔ cups haricot (navy) beans, soaked overnight and drained
2

Europe
Slovakia
Czech Republic
Soup
Lunch
Eastern Europe

Method

Put the beans in a large pan with 1.5 litres/2½ pints/6¼ cups cold water. Add the bay leaves, crushed garlic, tomato purée and the vegetable stock cube. Bring to the boil and cook for 30 minutes.
Add the potatoes (and sausage or bacon, if using) to the soup and cook for a further 30 minutes, or until the beans and potatoes are soft. Add 5ml/1 tsp salt.