Hungarian

Jókai bableves

A hearty Hungarian bean soup with smoked pork, Debreceni sausage, root vegetables, paprika roux, sour cream, and tiny csipetke dumplings. It is deep, smoky, and gently tangy, the way it is served in many Hungarian homes.

▶Watch it madeMindmegette.hu · 2:31

Ingredients

• Dried speckled beans or pinto beans150g
• Smoked pork knuckle or smoked pork hock piece300g
• Debreceni sausage or Hungarian smoked sausage80g
• Carrot1 medium, diced
• Parsley root or parsnip1 small, diced
• Celeriac50g, diced
• Yellow onion1 small, finely chopped
• Garlic2 cloves, minced
• Bay leaf1
• Hungarian sweet paprika1 tablespoon
• Lard or sunflower oil1 tablespoon
• All-purpose flour1 tablespoon, for the roux
• Sour cream80g
• All-purpose flour1 teaspoon, for thickening the sour cream
• Egg1 small
• All-purpose flour50g, for csipetke
• Saltto taste
• Black pepperto taste
• Fresh parsley1 tablespoon, chopped
• White vinegar1 teaspoon, optional

Method

1. Rinse the beans, cover them with plenty of cold water, and soak overnight.
2. Drain the beans and place them in a pot with the smoked pork knuckle, bay leaf, and 1 liter fresh cold water.
3. Bring to a gentle simmer, skim any foam, then cook partially covered for about 1 hour, until the beans begin to soften and the pork is tender.
4. Add the carrot, parsley root, and celeriac, then continue simmering for 25 to 35 minutes, until the vegetables and beans are tender.
5. While the soup cooks, make the csipetke by mixing the egg with a pinch of salt and enough flour to form a firm dough.
6. Pinch tiny pea-sized pieces from the dough onto a floured plate and let them dry slightly while you finish the soup.
7. Lift out the smoked pork, remove bone and skin if needed, cut the meat into bite-sized pieces, and return the meat to the pot.
8. Slice the Debreceni sausage into rounds and add it to the soup.
9. In a small pan, heat the lard, add the chopped onion, and cook until soft and lightly golden.
10. Stir in the minced garlic and 1 tablespoon flour, cooking for 1 minute to make a pale roux.
11. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the Hungarian sweet paprika, then loosen the roux with a ladleful of hot soup.
12. Pour the paprika roux into the soup, stirring well, and simmer for 10 minutes.
13. Add the csipetke to the soup and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, until they float and are cooked through.
14. In a bowl, whisk the sour cream with 1 teaspoon flour, then temper it with a few spoonfuls of hot soup.
15. Stir the tempered sour cream into the pot over low heat without boiling hard.
16. Season with black pepper and only as much salt as needed, since the smoked pork and sausage are salty.
17. Finish with chopped parsley and a small splash of vinegar if you want the traditional gentle tang.

Common questions