Hungarian Bableves (Bean Soup with Smoked Meat)

About This Recipe

Hungarian Bableves is a real, traditional Hungarian dish, known as Bean Soup with Smoked Meat. A hearty kidney bean soup simmered with smoked pork and root vegetables, thickened with a paprika roux.\n\nBableves is a traditional Hungarian home-cooking staple, historically valued for stretching an affordable pound of smoked meat into a filling meal for a large family using dried beans and root vegetables.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Hungarian home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 400 gdried kidney beans(soaked overnight)
• 300 gsmoked pork ribs or ham hock
• 1yellow onion(diced)
• 2carrots(diced)
• 1parsnip(diced)
• 3 tbsplard or neutral oil
• 2 tbspall-purpose flour
• 2 tbspsweet Hungarian paprika
• 1.5 Lwater
• 1 tspfine sea salt(to taste)
• 150 mlsour cream(to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Simmer the beans

   Combine soaked beans, smoked pork, onion, carrots, parsnip and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then simmer for 1.5 hours until the beans are tender.

2. 2

   Remove the meat

   Take out the smoked pork, shred or dice the meat, and discard any bones, then return the meat to the pot.

3. 3

   Make the roux

   In a separate small pan, melt lard, whisk in flour, and cook for 1 minute until light golden.

4. 4

   Bloom the paprika

   Remove the roux from heat, stir in paprika, then return to very low heat briefly.

5. 5

   Thicken the soup

   Whisk the paprika roux into the soup, stirring until it thickens slightly, then simmer for another 10 minutes.

6. 6

   Serve

   Season with salt and serve hot with a swirl of sour cream on top.

Variations

• •

  Add a few slices of smoked sausage for extra richness.

• •

  A spicier version adds fresh chopped chili with the vegetables.

• •

  Serve with a small csipetke dumpling stirred in during the last 10 minutes for a heartier meal.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions