Authentic Bulgarian Bean Soup
This Bulgarian bean soup is super easy to make, and surprisingly tasty! There's so many ways to prepare it but here we have the best recipe!
- 2 cups dried white beans
- 1 onion (diced)
- 1 carrot (diced)
- 1 bell pepper (diced)
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried spearmint
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- Salt and Pepper
- Oil
Soak the beans in water overnight or for at least 7-8 hours.
Drain the beans and then place them in a large pot. Cover them with water and bring to a boil. When the water boils drain the beans and repeat.
After the second drain, add six cups of water. Once your beans are boiling lower the heat to medium and cook until the beans start to soften. Should be around an hour. It's important to NOT add salt before the beans are fully cooked!
Once the beans are starting to soften add the onion, carrot, pepper, tomatoes, thyme, spearmint, paprika and 2 tablespoons oil.
Cook until the beans are fully cooked around 30-40 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a side of bread!
- You can use any type of beans that you like.
- If you are short on time, you can use canned beans skipping all the soaking and boiling.
- You can also add meat to the soup, such as sausage, chicken, or beef.
- For even richer taste you can swap the bell pepper for a dried one.
- Serve with fresh parsley or spearmint and crusty bread
- Use a large pot. The beans will expand as they cook, so it is important to use a large pot to avoid the soup boiling over.
- Don't overcrowd the pot. If you add too many beans to the pot, they will not cook evenly.
- Stir the soup occasionally. Stirring the soup occasionally will help to prevent the beans from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. The amount of salt and pepper you add to the soup will depend on your personal preferences. Just remember to add them in the end.
- Serve hot. Bulgarian bean soup is best served hot.