Pasulj (Serbian Smoked Bean Soup)

About This Recipe

Pasulj is the everyday hearth-dish of Serbia — a hearty soup-stew of white beans braised for hours with smoked pork ribs, knuckle, or sausage. It is Sunday lunch in the village, soldier food in the army, and student fuel in Belgrade dormitories. The technique is humble: dried beans soaked overnight, slow-simmered with a chunk of smoked meat until creamy and falling apart, then finished with a zaprška — a deep red roux of lard, flour, sweet paprika, and finely chopped onion stirred in at the end to thicken the broth and give it that unmistakable brick-red Balkan glow. Cornbread (proja) and pickled hot peppers on the side, sour cream optional. The trick is patience — pasulj that hasn't simmered at least three hours tastes thin and beany; properly cooked, the broth coats a spoon and the beans melt on the tongue.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 500 gdried white beans (tetovac or cannellini), soaked overnight
• 500 gsmoked pork ribs, in pieces
• 1 largesmoked sausage (kobasica or kulen), sliced
• 2 largeyellow onions, 1 whole + 1 finely chopped
• 2carrots, diced
• 3 clovesgarlic, minced
• 2bay leaves
• 1 tspwhole black peppercorns
• 3 tbsplard or sunflower oil
• 2 tbspflour
• 2 tbspsweet Hungarian or Serbian paprika
• 1 tspsmoked paprika
• salt to taste (added late — smoked meat is salty)
• 2 tbspfresh parsley, chopped, to serve

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak beans

   Soak dried beans in plenty of cold water overnight (10–12 hours). Drain and rinse before cooking.

2. 2

   First boil

   Place beans in a large pot with cold water to cover by 8 cm. Bring to a hard boil for 5 minutes, then drain — this removes the gas-causing oligosaccharides and any bitter foam.

3. 3

   Build the pot

   Return drained beans to the pot. Add smoked ribs, the whole onion (peeled), diced carrots, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Pour in 2.5 liters cold water.

4. 4

   Slow simmer

   Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then drop to low. Cover partially and simmer 2 to 2.5 hours, skimming foam in the first 20 minutes. Beans should be creamy and broth slightly thickened.

5. 5

   Add sausage

   After 90 minutes, slip sliced smoked sausage into the pot. Continue cooking.

6. 6

   Make the zaprška

   In a small pan, melt lard over medium heat. Add finely chopped onion and sweat 6 minutes until golden. Stir in flour, cook 1 minute, then pull off the heat and stir in both paprikas and minced garlic — they burn instantly on heat.

7. 7

   Marry roux to beans

   Whisk a ladle of bean broth into the roux to loosen it, then pour the smooth mixture back into the pot. Stir well. Simmer 20 more minutes — the broth will thicken and turn deep red.

8. 8

   Adjust seasoning

   Taste — smoked meat usually provides enough salt. Add salt cautiously, plenty of cracked pepper. Fish out the whole onion and bay leaves before serving.

9. 9

   Serve

   Ladle into deep bowls with a piece of rib and sausage in each. Top with chopped parsley. Serve with proja (cornbread), raw onion wedges, and pickled hot peppers.

Variations

• •

  Lean version — replace ribs with smoked turkey leg.

• •

  Posni pasulj (fasting version) — no meat at all, finished with extra paprika roux and a splash of vinegar.

• •

  Add 1 tbsp tomato paste with the roux for a tangier Vojvodina style.

Storage

Refrigerates 5 days, freezes 3 months. Reheat with a splash of water — it thickens significantly on standing.

Frequently Asked Questions