German Bean Soup (Bohnensuppe) Recipe
🕒 Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
🥣 Servings: 6-8
🍽️ Yield: About 2 quarts
Description:
Hugely chunky, thick, colorful, and peppery, this great peasant soup is filled with chewy ham, tender beans and potatoes, with carrots and green beans along for the ride for texture, color, and taste. It’s an excellent hearty meal, most especially with a frosted stein of good beer and chewy bread.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound white beans, soaked overnight
- 8 cups water
- 1/2 pound bacon, diced
- 1/4 pound country ham, diced
- 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and chopped
- 1 celery root, peeled and diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 leek, cleaned and chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 small red potato, diced
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
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Prepare Beans: Drain the soaked beans, then put them in a large kettle along with 8 cups of water and the diced bacon.
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Simmer Beans: Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
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Add Vegetables: Add the green beans, celery root cubes, carrots, leeks, onions, parsley root (or parsley), potatoes, marjoram, thyme, and bay leaves to the kettle.
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Continue Cooking: Bring the soup back to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for another hour.
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Prepare Roux: While the soup is cooking, melt the butter over low heat in a separate saucepan. Stir in the flour and let it brown very slowly, stirring occasionally, for about an hour or until it reaches a deep golden color.
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Thicken Soup: When the roux is ready, stir in a little of the soup stock, whisk for a minute, then stir the mixture into the soup kettle.
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Season and Simmer: Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
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Final Touch: When ready to serve, stir in the chopped parsley, remove the bay leaves, adjust the seasoning if needed, then ladle the soup into bowls and serve immediately.
Nutritional Information (per serving):
- Calories: 180.1
- Fat: 3.3g
- Saturated Fat: 1.9g
- Cholesterol: 7.6mg
- Sodium: 56mg
- Carbohydrates: 32.5g
- Fiber: 6.5g
- Sugar: 3.2g
- Protein: 6.9g
Recipe Notes:
- This soup can be served with a side of crusty bread and pairs wonderfully with a frosted stein of beer.
- Adjust the thickness of the soup by adding more or less roux according to your preference.
- Feel free to customize the soup by adding your favorite vegetables or herbs.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
