Prežganka

Prežganka (Slovenian Toasted-Flour Soup)

A traditional Slovenian rustic soup with a deep, toasted-flavor base known as 'prežganje' - flour cooked in fat until nut-brown, then loosened with stock and brightened with sweet paprika and black pepper.

Prep

5 min

Cook

25 min

Total

30 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •60 g (¼ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
• •60 g (¼ cup) lard, pork fat, or unsalted butter, lard is most traditional; butter is the easy home substitute
• •2 g (1 tsp) sweet paprika (Hungarian-style)
• •1.5 L (6 cups) beef or chicken stock, hot, homemade is traditional; a low-sodium store stock works well
• •1 whole small onion, optional, for simmering in the broth
• •2 whole garlic cloves, smashed
• •4 g (1 tsp) coarsely ground black pepper, more to taste
• •10 g (2 tsp) fine salt, adjust to taste
• •1 whole bay leaf
• •1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, for serving
• •1 whole crusty country bread or žganci (cooked buckwheat/corn mush), for serving, žganci is traditional; toasted country bread is the home-kitchen substitute
• •1 whole hard-boiled egg, halved, optional, traditional accompaniment

Steps

1. 1 Melt the lard (or butter) in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. If using onion, add it now and cook 3–4 minutes until soft and lightly browned, then fish it out - its job is only to flavor the fat.
2. 2 Lower the heat to medium-low and sprinkle in the flour. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, cooking the roux for 8–12 minutes until it turns a deep, even caramel-brown and smells nutty, like toasted hazelnuts. Do not rush - undercooked flour tastes pasty; burnt flour turns bitter.
3. 3 Take the pot off the heat and let it cool 30 seconds, then stir in the sweet paprika off the heat so it doesn't scorch. Pour in about 250 ml (1 cup) of the hot stock, whisking vigorously to dissolve the roux into a smooth, lump-free paste.
4. 4 Gradually whisk in the remaining hot stock, the smashed garlic, bay leaf, and about half the black pepper. Return to medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer.
5. 5 Simmer, stirring often, for 8–10 minutes to thicken slightly and to mellow the toasted flour. The soup should coat the back of a spoon but still flow easily; loosen with a splash of stock or hot water if it gets too thick.
6. 6 Season with salt and the remaining pepper. Taste - traditional prežganka is boldly peppery, with the sweet paprika giving roundness rather than heat.
7. 7 Remove the bay leaf and garlic. Ladle into bowls and serve hot, topped with chopped parsley and a halved hard-boiled egg if using, alongside crusty toasted bread or žganci on the side.