Pasulj is a Serbian white bean soup that is popular with the lower class. It includes sausage, onion, and other vegetables, and is seasoned with paprika, peppercorns, and bay leaves. The soup is simmered for two hours and sometimes includes a thickening paste.
Pasulj is a Serbian white bean soup. Inexpensive and plentiful, pasulj is very popular in Serbia with the lower class. This soup always has onion and usually includes other vegetables as well. In Serbia, it is considered a comfort food.
In general, pasulj includes sausage, although bacon or ham can be added. Whichever meat you choose, it is usually smoked. The meat is cut or sliced before being added to the soup.
Dried or canned white cannellini beans or kidney beans are used in the pasulj. If dried beans are used, they are often soaked in water overnight or boiled first, then allowed to soak in cold water for about half an hour before being used in soup. The beans will still be tough after soaking.
Pasulj is usually well seasoned. Paprika, both sweet and hot varieties, and peppercorns are almost always included. Bay leaves are also a common seasoning. Onions, garlic and parsley are also used to flavor this dish.
In addition to seasonings, peppers, carrots and tomato paste can be included. Sunflower or olive oil is used for frying onions and sometimes meat. Unlike many soups which use broth or broth for their liquid base, pasulj normally uses only water, relying on the meat, vegetables and spices to provide the flavour.
To make pasulj, onions and bacon, if used, are fried in oil in the pot that will be used for the soup. The seasonings are then included and allowed to cook briefly before placing the water, tomato paste and beans in the pot. The soup is then simmered for about two hours, until the beans are soft.
The sausage is added after the soup has boiled for about an hour. Salt, usually added to taste, isn’t included until late in the cooking process, after the beans are soft. If added before the beans soften, the salt will cause the beans to remain tough even after the soup has finished cooking.
Sometimes a thickening paste is added during cooking. The paprika and flour are placed in oil and heated in a separate pan to form the paste. This paste is then included in the soup. Some recipes, especially those that don’t include a paste, suggest mashing some beans to help thicken the stew. The beans can be mashed against the sides of the pot using a potato masher or the back of a large spoon.
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