Creamy Green Bean Soup
This creamy green bean soup came my way from a Hungarian friend named Illona, and in my limited opinion has a lot of the flavors of Eastern Europe, with the paprika finish and the addition of sour cream to the recipe. It has been perfect for this week, where I have been feeling a little vacation deprived. I am however glad that we have managed to get a head start on things, as this is audit season for us. I have been able to ease into things, taking advantage of this week which I usually tend to spend outside. Granted, my exposure to Eastern European cooking is mostly focused around Ukraine thanks to my friend Annette and her lovely cookbook.
It is not that, I would not have liked a vacation but this year, but we just could not work our way into it. We have had a family wedding, my mother visiting and now my mother-in-law. All of this has meant for a lot of juggling and somewhat less time available for a vacation. We also tend to avoid heading out to very predictable places in the heart of summer. Yes, this is why I do not especially enjoy beaches in summer. There have been all kinds of little book related things, and I am glad that I have a break from all of that. The great thing about August is that even if you are around, almost no one else is, forcing things into a wonderful peaceful state of quite. The kids are also at swim camp, which gets them back very tired, I have tried this soup a coup of times and the kids love it, which makes it a huge plus in my world, I have done very little to change the original recipe given to me, except that I cook the beans a little less and puree them. I am a little lighter in my use of sour cream and often swap that with Greek Yogurt.
Given the timing of the post, it is difficult to not mention back to school, here is middle school, looming at me, I cannot not talk about it. Honestly, my resolution (yes, the same one that I have broken, so many times over) is to make weekly meal plans. For some not making the plans translate to eating out and take out, unfortunately in my case this translates to spending way too much time in the kitchen. I think with all the cookbook writing out of the way for a while, I need to simply savor the joy of being out of the kitchen and keep telling myself that this too is possible! For now, here is the soup recipe and a prayer for the school year to come.
A delicately seasoned creamy Hungarian green bean soup.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus 1 extra tablespoon
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 medium sized onion, diced
- 3 cups of fresh green beans coarsely chopped (about 1 pound)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 cups of water
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a pan and add in the butter cook until the butter has melted. Add in the garlic and sauté lightly until the garlic has turned golden.
- Add in the onion and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until the onion softens and wilts.
- Add in the green beans and the salt and mix well. Stir in the cornstarch and gradually add in the water, mixing well to mix in the cornstarch.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for about 20 minutes. Add in the black pepper.
- Cool the mixture slightly and process to a puree.
- Return to the cooking pan and add in the parsley and stir in the sour cream and cook until heated through.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil and add in the almonds and cook until lightly browned. Stir in the paprika.
- Place the soup in serving bowls and top with the almond mixture and enjoy.