Red Bean Soup

Name: Red Bean Soup with Beef Ribs - Thick and Hearty
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 3 h
Cuisine: Bulgarian cuisine
Ingredients: Red beans 0.5 cup (85 g); Cold water 1.5 l; Beef ribs 300 g; Onion 2; Red bell pepper 1; Hot red pepper 1; Dried soup vegetable mix with aromatic herbs 1 tbsp; Butter 1 tbsp; Tomato paste 1 tbsp (17 g); Flour 1 tsp (3 g); Dill 3-4 sprigs; Salt, black pepper, coriander to taste

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3 h

When autumn comes, I love a thick, spicy hot soup that warms you up and fills you up at the same time. We usually make either ezogelin lentil soup or red bean soup in a meat broth. If you cook a rich broth from beef ribs and soak the beans ahead of time, the dish comes together quickly.

The bean is a native of the New World, where it was one of the staple foods of the ancient Aztecs. There is evidence that beans were grown and eaten even before the Egyptian pyramids were built. Beans are very nourishing, with plenty of protein and carbohydrates. Interestingly, the ancient world knew many varieties, and explorers’ records describe black, red, speckled and other beans.

Mature dry beans are practically inedible: hard and tasteless. They have to be boiled before eating. This takes some care too, because dry beans can be cooked forever and you end up with mush. Before boiling, soak the beans in cold water for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. As they take up water, the beans soften and cook well while staying whole.

Soaking does more than prepare the beans for cooking. It breaks down substances that interfere with digestion, as well as some toxic compounds. Red beans contain more lectins than other varieties, and boiling destroys them completely. As a result, a side dish or soup made with them is perfectly safe.

Rinse the beans and soak them in cold water for 6-12 hours. Then sort them, discarding any that are damaged by bugs or cracked. Cover the beans with cold water and set over the heat. Simmer very gently, uncovered, until done, from half an hour to an hour. Then drain.

Like most dishes of this kind, bean soup can be made with boiled or canned beans. It is essentially the same thing. Canned beans only need rinsing and are ready to use. Besides soup, you can make chili con carne, a delicious and hearty salad, a side dish or lobio. Beans go into the soup shortly before the end of cooking. They are already fully cooked and need no further boiling.

12 ingredientsTo the recipe

More with beef and beans

Bean Borscht with Meat Broth

3 h

Bean Soup with Beef Rib Broth

Ingredients

2 servings

Red beans 0.5 cup
(85 g)
Cold water 1.5 l
Beef ribs 300 g
Onion 2
Red bell pepper 1
Hot red pepper 1
Dried soup vegetable mix with aromatic herbs 1 tbsp
Butter 1 tbsp
Tomato paste 1 tbsp
(17 g)
Flour 1 tsp
(3 g)
Dill 3-4 sprigs
Salt, black pepper, coriander to taste

Step-by-step recipe

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Bean soup is best cooked in beef broth. We usually buy ribs or brisket for the stock, since they have enough meat and make an excellent rich broth. Soak the red beans the day before in cold water. For the soup, take two large onions, one meaty red bell pepper and a chili, or two if you like.
Pour 1.5 l of cold water into a pot and add the washed ribs. Bring to a boil and be sure to skim off the foam, as there can be a lot. Cover the pot and simmer the broth very gently for 1.5-2 hours. Do not add any spices or salt.
Meanwhile, drain the soaked beans and sort through them. Throw away any beans damaged by bugs. Incidentally, even among soaked beans you will find some as hard as stone. They do not absorb water and never cook, so throw them out too. Put the sorted beans in a pot and cover with plenty of cold water. Set over the heat. Once it boils, turn the heat down so the water barely bubbles. Do not cover the pot. The beans will be done in 30-40 minutes.
Peel the onion, bell pepper and hot pepper. Dice the onion and bell pepper, and chop the hot pepper finely with a knife. Heat a small piece of butter in a frying pan. Fry the vegetables together until they begin to brown, stirring so they do not burn.
Take the cooked beef ribs out of the broth and cut off all the meat. Discard the bones and cut the meat into large cubes. Add the beef to the vegetables and fry for a few minutes, lowering the heat a little. Then transfer all the vegetables and beef to the pot with the broth.
Once the soup comes to a boil, add the cooked red beans. Also add 1 tbsp of tomato paste (17 g) and the dried soup vegetables with herbs. Such mixes are sold in stores and are a great seasoning for soups. They include dried carrot, celery, parsnip and parsley roots, and various dried herbs such as basil, dill and parsley.
Simmer the soup over low heat for 15 minutes. Then season with salt and pepper to taste and add a little ground coriander. To thicken the soup slightly, you can add a little flour mixed with cooled broth or water. Stirring the soup, slowly pour in the flour mixture. Let the soup simmer for 5-6 minutes over low heat.
Serve the soup hot, but not scalding. Ladle it into bowls. Finely chop the dill and sprinkle it over the dish before serving. I like soups like this to be noticeably spicy, so I do not deny myself an extra pinch of coarsely ground hot pepper. Red bean soup goes well with toasted bread or corn tortillas, which I recommend trying.