Hungarian Fresh Bean Soup with Csipetke – Fejtett Bableves
Servings: 4
This traditional Hungarian Fejtett Bableves is one of those comforting soups that immediately takes me back to childhood. Made with fresh shelled beans, plenty of root vegetables, homemade csipetke and a classic parsley-garlic paprika rántás, it’s simple Hungarian home cooking at its best. I love serving it piping hot, with sour cream added individually to each bowl so everyone can have exactly as much as they like. For an even deeper, smoky flavor, you can also cook the soup with a good smoked bone or smoked meat.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the soup:
2 tbsp oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, left whole
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 parsley roots, peeled and chopped
1 small celery root, peeled and chopped
500 g fresh shelled speckled beans
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
2 L water or stock
Fresh parsley
Sour cream, for serving
Optional: smoked bone or smoked meat
For the csipetke:
100 g all-purpose flour
1 egg
Pinch of salt
For the rántás:
Oil
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 level tsp Hungarian sweet paprika
Cooked whole garlic cloves from the soup
Fresh parsley, finely chopped
Steps
1. Sauté the vegetables.
Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté until softened. Add the chopped carrots, parsley roots and celery root and cook for another few minutes.
2. Start the soup.
Add the fresh shelled beans, salt and black pepper. Pour in the water or stock and add the 2 garlic cloves whole. If using smoked bone or smoked meat, add it now. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the beans and vegetables are tender, about 45–50 minutes.
3. Make the csipetke.
While the soup cooks, combine the flour, egg and salt and knead into a firm, smooth dough. Do not add water. Pinch off very small pieces of dough and place them on a well-floured plate or bowl. Keep lightly flouring them as you work so they don't stick together.
4. Cook the csipetke.
When the beans and vegetables are tender, add the csipetke to the soup. Bring the soup back to a boil and cook for approximately 7–8 minutes.
5. Make the rántás.
While the csipetke cooks, heat a little oil in a small pan and stir in the flour. Cook gently while stirring to make a light roux. Remove the cooked whole garlic cloves from the soup, mash them and add them to the rántás together with finely chopped fresh parsley.
6. Add the paprika.
Remove the pan briefly from the heat, stir in the Hungarian sweet paprika and immediately mix well so the paprika doesn't burn. Add a little hot broth from the soup and stir until smooth.
7. Finish the soup.
Once the csipetke is cooked and the soup is boiling, slowly pour the rántás into the soup while stirring. Bring everything back to a boil and cook for another couple of minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper if necessary.
8. Serve.
Serve the Fejtett Bableves piping hot. Put sour cream on the table and let everyone add it directly to their own bowl according to taste. Finish with extra fresh parsley if you like.
Jó étvágyat! 🇭❤️