Čorbast Pasulj

Čorbast Pasulj (Serbian Bean Stew)

A thick, paprika-rich Serbian bean stew with garlic and onion — closer to a soup in texture than a dry bean dish. Best with crusty bread and a shot of ajvar or a few drops of good vinegar.

Prep

15 min

Cook

95 min

Total

110 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) dry white beans (cannellini or borlotti), or 700 g / 24 oz cooked, drained beans
• •60 ml (¼ cup) sunflower or other neutral oil, lard or pork fat is the more traditional choice
• •1 whole (1 medium) large onion, finely chopped
• •4 cloves garlic, minced
• •20 g (2½ tbsp) sweet paprika, Hungarian-style; do not substitute smoked unless you mean to
• •2 g (1 tsp) hot paprika or chili flakes, optional, to taste
• •1 whole bay leaf
• •800 ml (3½ cups) water or light stock, plus more as needed
• •5 g (1 tsp) salt, to taste
• •2 g (½ tsp) freshly ground black pepper

Steps

1. 1 Soak the beans: place in a bowl, cover with plenty of cold water, and soak overnight (8–12 hours). Drain and rinse. (Quick-soak alternative: cover with water, bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then off-heat soak 1 hour; drain.)
2. 2 Transfer the soaked beans to a pot, add fresh water to cover by about 3 cm (1¼ in), add the bay leaf, and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 50–70 minutes until tender but not falling apart. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid.
3. 3 While the beans cook, warm the oil (or melt the lard) in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook 6–8 minutes until soft and golden, stirring so it does not brown hard.
4. 4 Reduce the heat to low. Add the minced garlic and stir for about 30 seconds — do not let it color.
5. 5 Take the pot off the heat for 30 seconds, then sprinkle in the sweet (and hot) paprika and stir to bloom it in the oil for 10–15 seconds. Adding paprika off-heat prevents it from burning and turning bitter.
6. 6 Return the drained beans to the pot, pour in 500 ml (about 2 cups) of the reserved bean cooking liquid (or stock/water), and stir. Add more liquid so the beans are covered by about 1 cm (½ in) — čorbast pasulj is meant to be a loose, soupy stew.
7. 7 Bring back to a gentle simmer and cook 15–20 minutes, mashing a few beans against the side of the pot to thicken the broth naturally.
8. 8 Season with salt and pepper, simmer 2 more minutes, and taste. Adjust salt and thin with more liquid if the stew has thickened too much.
9. 9 Remove the bay leaf. Let the stew rest off the heat for 5–10 minutes — it should be the consistency of a thick soup. Serve hot in deep bowls with crusty bread, and offer extra hot paprika and a splash of vinegar at the table.