A thick, hearty bean soup simmered with smoked pork and marjoram, a warming Czech classic served with dark bread.
Fazolová polévka, Czech bean soup, is built around dried beans simmered slowly with smoked pork — often a ham hock or smoked sausage — until the beans turn soft and the broth takes on a deep, smoky richness from the meat. It's a cold-weather staple, thick enough to eat as a full meal rather than a starter, and it reflects a broader Central European tradition of pairing legumes with smoked meats for a filling, economical dish. Marjoram, again, is the herb that ties this soup unmistakably to Czech cooking, added generously along with bay leaf and a touch of caraway for extra depth. A light roux of flour cooked in butter or rendered fat is often stirred in near the end to thicken the broth slightly, giving the soup body without making it heavy. The smoked meat should simmer long enough to release its flavor fully into the broth, then be pulled out, shredded or diced, and returned to the pot so every spoonful gets a bit of meat along with the tender beans. Served with a hunk of dark rye bread, this soup is classic Czech comfort food, especially during the colder months.
Serves 6
Combine soaked beans, smoked pork, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaves, marjoram, caraway and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered 60 to 75 minutes until the beans are tender.
Lift out the smoked pork, shred or dice the meat, discarding any bone or excess fat, and return it to the pot.
In a small pan, melt butter and whisk in flour, cooking 1 to 2 minutes until lightly golden.
Cook the roux just until it smells toasty, not deeply browned — a light roux thickens the soup without overpowering it.
Whisk a ladle of hot soup broth into the roux to loosen it, then stir the mixture back into the pot. Simmer 10 minutes until slightly thickened.
Season with salt to taste, remove bay leaves, and serve hot with dark rye bread.
Soak the beans overnight for more even cooking and a shorter simmer time; unsoaked beans can take significantly longer and cook unevenly.
Use a genuinely smoked pork hock or sausage — the smokiness is a key part of the soup's flavor and can't be replicated with plain pork.
Cook the roux only until lightly golden; a dark roux will make the soup taste heavier and change its color.
Use smoked ham or bacon in place of a pork hock for a quicker-cooking version.
Add diced potato for extra heartiness, a common regional variation.
Puree a portion of the finished soup and stir it back in for a thicker, creamier texture without adding dairy.
Refrigerate up to 5 days; the flavor deepens overnight. This soup also freezes well for up to 3 months — thaw and reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of water if it's thickened too much.
Bean soup with smoked meat is a staple of Czech and broader Central European home cooking, reflecting a long tradition of stretching cured, smoked pork products through hearty legume-based soups during the colder months.
Yes — use about 4 cans of drained beans and reduce the simmering time to around 30 minutes, just enough to infuse the smoky flavor from the meat into the broth.
A smoked pork hock gives the richest flavor and some natural gelatin to the broth, but a good smoked sausage or smoked bacon also works well and cooks faster.
It likely needs the roux thickening step, or a longer simmer to let the beans break down slightly and thicken the broth naturally — both help give the soup its characteristic heartiness.
Per serving (420g / 14.8 oz) · 6 servings total
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