Bowl of Legume Soup
(click to enlarge)

Legume Soup


Czech   -   Lusteninová Polévka
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 2-1/2 qt
***
11 hrs
Yes		 This soup appears in four of my five Czech cookbooks with variations in proportions. It is easy to make and has excellent bean flavor. Bean, pea and lentil soups are home cooking, little seen in Czech restaurants.

1
2
ar
1/2
1/2
1/2
2
3
2
1
1-1/2
1/2
2/3
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#
T

c
c
c
cl
T
T
T
t
t
c
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Legumes, dried (1)
Salt
Water
Onion
Carrot
Parsnip (2)
Garlic
Lard or Butter (3)
Flour
Caraway Seeds (4)  
Salt
Pepper
Cream, heavy (5)
-- Garnish
Fried Croutons
Do-Ahead:   -   (8 hrs - 10 min work)
  1. Soak BEANS 8 hours or overnight with plenty of Water and 2 T salt (yes salt - see our Soaking / Brining Dried Beans page). Drain, rinse and discard water.
Make   -   (11 hrs - 8 hrs soak, 35 min work)
  1. Cook Beans with water to cover until very tender, 1-1/2 hours or so for soaked beans.
  2. Meanwhile:   Chop ONION fine. Peel CARROTS and PARSNIPS and chop fine. Mix all.
  3. Drain the Beans, discarding the cooking liquid to reduce the amount of indigestible sugars. Run them in a food processor until well puréed. Add a little water as may be necessary.
  4. Melt Lard or Butter and fry Flour over very moderate heat until it starts to darken into a blonde roux.
  5. Stir Vegetable mix and Roux into the Beans along with enough Water to get the soup consistency you want.
  6. Simmer for 20 minutes. Stir frequently, scraping up the bottom of the pan. Adjust consistency with boiling water if needed.
  7. Stir in Garlic, Caraway (and/or herb), Salt and Pepper. Simmer another 10 minutes.
  8. If using: Take 1 cup Broth and mix it with Cream. Stir all back into the soup. Bring up hot but not quite to a simmer.
  9. Serve hot garnished with Croutons or chopped Parsley.
NOTES:

  1. Legumes:

      This should be a mix of different kinds of Beans, combined with Lentils and dried Peas, selecting varieties with good flavor - don't worry about matching cooking times. For Details see our Varieties - Beans Peas & Lentils page.

  2. Vegetables:

      You can substitute the parsnip with turnip, celery root or another root vegetable, but keep the onion and carrot.

  3. Roux:

      How much roux is used varies from recipe to recipe. Mine is on the low side because I prefer more bean flavor and less flour flavor. The pattern recipe called for twice as much which is about average. Czechs use mostly lard, but if you want your beans vegetarian use butter.

  4. Caraway:

      The pattern recipe called for twice as much Caraway, but marked it "optional". I think 1 T is plenty for non-Czechs. Other recipes call for Marjoram or Thyme instead. Personally, I'd go with both Caraway and the herb.

  5. Cream:

      Of the four recipes I have for this soup, one uses Milk, one uses Cream, and two use neither.
  6. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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