North Croatian Beans Soup Food

NORTH CROATIAN CREAMY VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• Finely mince onion and sauté it on butter until translucent.
• In the meantime, cut and mince all vegetables into small pieces and put into sautéed onion.
• Add all beef stock, season with salt and pepper and cook 40 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
• Blend all vegetables with blender or stick blender into creamy liquid. Add thyme and nutmeg and cook 10-15 minutes.
• Add sour cream before serving. Serve hot with croutons.

CROATIAN BEAN SOUP (GRAH I VARIVAH)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Drain the soaked beans, rinse them, and drain again.
• Place in a large pot and add 12 cups fresh cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
• Add garlic, onion, smoked sausage of choice, smoked ribs or meaty smoked ham hocks, bay leaf, salt, pepper and Vegeta seasoning powder to taste.
• Return to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 2 to 3 hours or until beans and meat are tender. Add water as needed, while cooking, stirring occasionally.
• Remove bay leaf and discard. Remove bones from rib meat or hocks and return meat to the pot. If soup isn't thick enough, continue to simmer until desired consistency is achieved.

NORTH CROATIAN PORK AND SAUERKRAUT STEW (SEKELI GULASH)

Steps:

• Cut pork meat into small pieces.
• Finely slice onion and sauté it on lard until soft. Add meat and continue to sauté it until meat starts to change color.
• Add paprika and mix. Add some wine and continue to sauté it.
• After 10 to 15 minutes add sauerkraut (sliced), bay leaf, caraway seeds and more wine. Add water and brine (only if you like it really sour).
• Cook 30 to 40 minutes on low fire. After 20 minutes add flour (just one teaspon if you want thicker stew) and mix well. Continue to cook until sauerkraut is soft.
• Before serving add sour cream and mix.

ZUPPANITZ (SOUP OF NOTHING)

Steps:

• Add oil to stock pot over medium heat.
• Add chopped onion and celery.
• Heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes (or until tender).
• Add water and bouillon cubes.
• Add all veggies and spices.
• Cook about 30-45 minutes until all veggies are soft.
• In small pan, melt butter and slowly add flour and stir until golden brown. Slowly add some of the broth from your soup and stir to make a roux. Add this mixture to the soup and either mash with a potato masher OR for a smoother, creamier soup use an immersion blender.
• Yum!

MARCELLA'S STUFFED RIGATONI

Steps:

• In a large frying pan brown the ground beef.
• Drain the fat.
• Add the garlic, onions, and green pepper.
• Cook until veggies begin to soften (3 minutes).
• Add the oregano and ketchup and mix.
• Continue to cook on low for 10 minutes so all the flavors come together.
• Meanwhile cook the rigatoni noodles so the are half cooked.
• Once the meat mixture has cooled stuff the rigatoni noodles with the meat mixture and place into a 11X9 casserole dish making several layers.
• In a small sauce pan combine the mushroom soup and milk and heat and mix until smooth.
• Pour this over the stuffed noodles and cook in a 300 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.

CROATIAN ARMY BEANS

Steps:

• Soak beans overnight in water. Wash the beans and put it in fresh cold water unit it boils. Cook it for 10 minutes, change the water, and cook for more 20-30 minutes. Remove beans and put it in cold water.
• Melt the lard in the pot and add the sliced onion. Sauté the onion until it is soft. Add minced pancetta and sauté it for 5 more minutes, than add garlic. Sauté it for 1-2 minutes and add flour. Sauté it until the flour is slightly brown and than add paprika and chilli.
• Add water gently and make a cream of all ingredients. Than add beans and bay leaf and water to cover the beans. Cook for 1 hour on very gently fire. (in Croatia we have special sausages "cesnjovke" which we put in this beans and cook all together, but you can put any kind of smoked, dried meat - pork or beef).
• Very important to know is that you do not add chilli or any kind of hot paprika afterwards. Hot paprika must be cooked from the very beginning or you will suffer from very bad digestive process. We in Croatia always drink alcohol if we eat something hot, otherwise, you'll also have very bad digestive process. This meal is very good during cold winter, it renews your strength.