A Hungarian twist on this ultimate comfort potato and bean soup with bacon. This soup is so creamy using the ingredients without dairy, satisfying and flavourful for an easy weeknight meal!
I don’t know about you, but I enjoy a bowl of soup anytime of the year. I used pantry ingredients and I always have celery, onions, garlic, potatoes, beans and bacon on hand. Most if not all are a great base for a flavourful soup! No dairy was added to create this creamy texture, only if you chose to add sour cream as a garnish.
Hungarians often start their meals with a soup. The ingredients I used in this soup are often found in many of the Hungarian soups. They often use bacon as their fat to sauté their onions and garlic. Bacon adds so much flavour to a recipe and I used a thicker cut bacon, referred to butcher bacon.
Onion, celery and garlic are most often used to start a good base, the paprika is very traditionally used in our recipes. We love potatoes in our soups and stews as it is a good staple and adds a heartiness to the dishes. Vinegar is often added to balance the flavours, especially when sour cream is added.
INGREDIENTS AND TIPS
- Bacon: is adds lots of flavour
- Onion
- Celery
- Garlic: has a pungent delicious flavour, and gives this soup that cozy comfort flavour, not to mention the many healthy benefits
- Paprika: used sweet Hungarian paprika, offers a richness and beautiful colour to the soup
- Potatoes: using Yukon gold potatoes adds the right amount of starch for this recipe
- Vegetable broth: can substitute for chicken broth
- White beans: or white kidney beans adds protein and texture
- Vinegar: as Hungarian’s we like to add a little vinegar to our soups, as it adds a slight tanginess and balances the flavour nicely
- Seasonings: Himalayan salt and pepper
- Sour cream: or Greek yogurt is optional as a garnish
- Garnishing: bacon bits, celery leaf’s, beans, chives
HOW TO MAKE THIS DELCIOUS SOUP
Start by frying the bacon over medium in a cast iron pot, cook for until crispy. Transfer to a plate. Sauté the onions in the remaining bacon fat for about 2-3 minutes, add celery, continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for a minute, long enough for aroma to release. Stir in paprika.
Add the potatoes, broth, beans, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
Let the soup cool slightly, then transfer half to two-thirds of the soup to a blender. Or an option is to use an immersion blender. Blend until smooth and return the pureed soup back into the pot.
Try to eye ball when it comes to transferring half to two-thirds of the soup to the blender. If you blend more then a half, that’s okay, keeping in mind the more soup you blend, the thicker it will be. If you prefer to be precise, then measure the amount of soup there is and take half of that and add it to your blender.
Serve immediately. Garnish with celery leaves, parsley, chives and/or bacon. Optional to add sour cream or yogurt to the soup.
WHY MAKE THIS SOUP
- It’s delicious and wholesome your entire family will love
- So nutritious with rich in fiber, protein, magnesium, folate, iron, potassium, zinc to name a few
- Budget-friendly and beans are inexpensive to create a delicious and wholesome meal
- Make it in just over 30 minutes
- Easy recipe to make and follow
TRY THESE OTHER DELICIOUS SOUPS
Store this soup in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. You can freeze up to 3 months in a freezer safe container with a lid.
DID YOU MAKE THIS DELICIOUS SOUP……..
I would love to hear your comments, suggestions and any recommendations….drop me a line and I know my readers would also like the feedback and ratings. 🙂
Hungarian-Style Potato, Bacon and White Bean Soup
Equipment
- Dutch oven or cast iron pot
- blender
Ingredients
- 4 butcher bacon strips, roughly chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 rib celery, finely sliced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp Hungarian sweet paprika
- 1 lb Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, diced into ¾-1" cubes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 14 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 4 tbsp sour cream, dollop (optional)
- fresh parsley, celery leaf's, bacon, chives for garnishing
Instructions
- Over medium heat, add bacon to a cast iron pot, cook for until crispy. Transfer to a plate.
- Sauté the onions in the remaining bacon fat for about 2-3 minutes, if there isn't enough fat, add about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Then add celery, continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for a minute, long enough for aroma to release. Stir in paprika.
- Add the potatoes, broth, beans, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- Let the soup cool slightly, then transfer about ½ to ⅔'s of the soup to a blender or use a immersion blender . Blend until smooth and return the pureed soup back into the pot.
- Serve immediately. Garnish with celery leaves, parsley, chives and/or bacon.
