Gra - Serbian Bean Soup

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Also called Pasulj

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Dried white Beans (navy or cannellini)
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 tb Chopped parsley
  • 2 tb tomato paste
  • 1 lg carrot, scraped and sliced
  • 5 To 6 whole peppercorns
  • 1 lb Kielbasa, thickly sliced
  • 1/2 tb salt
  • 2 tb olive oil
  • 1 ts paprika
  • 2 tb flour

Preparation

Step 1

*You will need a large saucepan. Pick over the Beans for bits of grit and chaff, and rinse them twice in
cold water. Put the Beans in a large saucepan and cover them with water to a depth of 1 to 2 inches.

*Bring the water to a boil and then turn down the heat.Leave to simmer gently for half an hour.

*Remove the pan from the heat and pour in enough cold water to cover the Beans to a depth of 3 inches. The
Beans will settle on the bottom. Leave them for a minute or two; then pour off the water and replace
with fresh water. Bring the water to a boil and then turn down the heat to simmer.

*Add the onions, garlic,
bay leaves, parsley, tomato paste, carrot, and peppercorns to the Beans.

*Cook gently over very low heat
for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the Beans are soft. After 45 minutes of the cooking, add the kielbasa.

*Fifteen minutes before you are ready to serve, add the salt and prepare a liaison for the soup.

*Heat the oil until it is smoking lightly; then quickly stir in the paprika, followed by the flour. Mix to a thin paste.

*Add this to the soup, stirring well. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the soup is thick and rich.