The story behind the recipe
Zupa fasolowa, also known as fasolanka or fasolówka, is a bean soup, most often made with dried and small-grained beans, although it can also be cooked with large beans like Jaś. According to Kwestia Smaku, it is one of the most commonly cooked soups in Polish homes, especially popular in winter, and Ania Gotuje writes that every Pole knows it and cooks it every autumn and winter. It is made with ribs, smoked bacon, or sausage, and the traditional spice is marjoram, which, according to Wikipedia, is crushed in the hands and sprinkled on the soup already served in the bowl.
Old cookbooks suggest a pureed bean soup. In "Kucharka litewska" by Wincenty Zawadzki (1913 edition), cooked white beans are passed through a sieve, parsley and leek sautéed in butter are added, the mixture is thinned with vegetable broth, "so that the soup is thick," and served with croutons. In the fasting cookbook "100 postnych i jarskich dań" from 1927, the beans are soaked "on Christmas Eve in cold water," pureed, and enriched with butter, flour, cream, and egg yolks, with croutons sprinkled with sharp cheese. It is unclear when the current version with bacon and sausage became customary.
Since June 12, 2023, "zupa fasolowa po kujawsku" has been listed as a Traditional Product. In Kujawy, beans were called szablok and were used for everyday one-pot meals, as well as for Christmas Eve dinner. The soup was cooked with vegetables, seasoned with vinegar and sugar, and thickened with a light roux, with overcooked beans as its base. It is described as thick, ranging from light yellow to creamy, with a sweet-sour taste and hints of bay leaf and allspice. The soup itself is not protected by European Union law, but three Polish beans are: Piękny Jaś from the Dunajec Valley, korczyńska beans, and wrzawska beans.
Ingredients
Soup
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200 g dried white beans (small Jaś or another white bean; soaked overnight)
Abroad: USA: great northern beans or another white bean; Germany: weiße Bohnen - 1.25 l vegetable broth or water (1 l, if the soup is to be very thick)
- 2 pcs bay leaf
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2 pcs allspice (berries)
Abroad: allspice berries; Germany: Piment - 400 g potatoes (weighed before peeling)
- 150 g carrot (weighed before peeling)
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1 pc parsley root (optional)
Abroad: USA: parsnip; Germany: Petersilienwurzel
Frying
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150 g raw smoked bacon (without skin, diced)
Abroad: USA: smoked slab bacon or a small smoked ham hock; Germany: Speck -
200 g smoked sausage (smoked and dried, sliced)
Abroad: USA: smoked Polish sausage; Germany: geräucherte Mettwurst - 150 g onion (finely chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (crushed)
Spices
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) sweet paprika (flat, can be smoked)
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1 tbsp (15 ml) dried marjoram (crushed in hands)
Abroad: dried marjoram; Germany: Majoran - salt and pepper (salt at the end, after tasting)
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2 tbsp (30 ml) tomato paste (optional)
Abroad: USA: tomato paste; Germany: Tomatenmark
To thicken (optional)
- 2 tbsp wheat flour (mixed with 120 ml cold water)
Method, step by step
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In the evening, sort the beans, rinse them, and place them in a glass or ceramic bowl. Cover with cold water so that it reaches about 10 cm (4 inches) above the beans, and leave for at least 10 hours. The beans will absorb most of the water, so if necessary, add more; otherwise, the beans sticking out above the water will have wrinkled skins.
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In the morning, drain the water, rinse the beans, and transfer them to a pot with a capacity of about 4 liters. Pour in the broth or water, add the bay leaves and allspice. Bring to a boil covered, then reduce the heat so that the soup barely simmers, and cook covered for 35 minutes.
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In the meantime, peel the potatoes, carrot, and, if using, parsley, and cut them into small cubes. Add the vegetables to the pot and cook covered for 20–25 minutes until they are soft. The carrot usually takes longer than the potatoes.
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Cut the bacon into small cubes and place it in a cold pan. Heat over medium heat so that the fat renders slowly and the bacon browns, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
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When most of the fat has rendered, add the onion and sauté together for 15 minutes until the onion is translucent and browned. At the end, add the crushed garlic. If you have fresh sausage instead of dried, sauté it together with the onion.
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When the vegetables in the pot are soft, transfer the entire contents of the pan to the soup, rinsing the pan with a bit of broth and adding that to the pot as well. Add the sausage sliced into half-moons, paprika, and pepper. Cook covered for 5–10 minutes.
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Finally, add the marjoram crushed in your hands and, if you like, the tomato paste. Taste and only then add salt, as the bacon and sausage are salty.
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If the soup is too thin, mix the flour with cold water until smooth, pour it into the hot soup while stirring, and bring to a boil. If it's too thick, thin it with a cup of broth or water.
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Let the soup sit for 30–60 minutes to let the flavors meld, then reheat. Serve hot with a slice of bread, and you can crush more marjoram over the plate.
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