Pasulj, a bean soup. It’s a winter soup, and very filling.
The measurements are approximations, and can be added to or reduced depending on your tastes.
800g - 1kg dried beans. Tetovac white beans are traditional (and the best imo - you can get them online in the UK), but you can use cannellini, kidney beans, butter beans, fava etc if you want. Soak them overnight in water with added salt and baking soda.
2-3 onions
4 carrots
3-4 sticks of celery
4 garlic cloves
400-500 meat (ham, lamb, beef all works. Sausages, cured and/or dried cuts of meat too)
1L stock (vegetable or beef)
Salt and pepper to taste
2tbsp paprika - ideally paprika from Szeged (again, can get this online easily). Smoked or sweet.
You can add cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
Soak beans overnight, then strain and drain. Cook onion and garlic in olive oil on high heat for a couple of minutes, then reduce heat to simmer on medium until the onion is translucent. Add the carrots, celery and meat and simmer for another ten minutes. Take the pot off direct heat and stir in the paprika (don’t scorch the paprika, it ruins the taste). Add the stock, 500-600 of water, and add the beans, salt, and pepper. Raise the heat and bring to the boil. Add the bay leaves. Reduce the heat to low and let it cook until the beans are tender (2 - 2.5 hours). Add more water if needed.
When the beans are close to being done, make a roux - you want about 3tbsp of flour and 2tbsp butter). Whisk the roux into the soup and cook for another 5 minutes.
Serve with sour cream and/or buttered bread. Spring onions sprinkled on the top work well with it.