Bean and Potato Soup (altered Bosnian “Grah”)

A few years ago, I remember reminiscing about my childhood with my grandma and my aunt. My aunt explained to me how you could always find my socks on the floor and my hair stuck to my face where the evidence of today’s fruit jam was plastered. I always had the liking for good home-made food. I have only a few fond memories of back home (for those of you that don’t know back home is Bosnia for me). One of the best memories was spending some time at my grandma’s house and eating a nice bowl of bean soup (or what Bosnians simply call “Grah”). Bean soup was considered a poor man’s food and to this day still is by many people. Yet, this was ultimately my favorite food. It is rather simple, but keeps you warm and your tummy full.

The notion of beans being a poor man’s food should be heavily reconsidered. Beans have so much great nutritional value that one could definitely let the sometimes embarrassing side effects (i.e. gas) slide completely. First, beans have a high fiber content which helps lower blood cholesterol levels, helps control blood sugar levels, aids in digestion, and may reduce the chance of heart disease. Beans are also very high in protein which helps keep your muscles healthy and your tummy feeling satisfied. Other great nutrients found in beans are: calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, and manganese. Sounds pretty nifty, ay?

Now you may be thinking of overcooked gooey beans on the side of your lunch tray, but I assure you beans can become a great staple in everyone’s diet. Apart for being good for you, beans are so versatile that everyone can find one they love. You can throw them in some soup, with some brown rice, add them to salads, or create some great Mexican dishes.

This bean soup requires one important step—cooking the beans from scratch. This may scare some people off, but really cooking beans from scratch is very easy. The best way to do this is soaking the beans overnight. All you have to do is wash the beans, put them in a pot, cover, and let them sit overnight and till you are ready to cook them. Now, if you are fancy and have all kinds of cool gadgets in the kitchen (yes Mama, I am thinking of you here) then you might have a pressure cooker. Using a pressure cooker would not require soaking. If you are like me, a possible struggling student, or are on a tight budget, then soaking will get the job done. I might even have to come up with a list of benefits of making your beans from scratch…next time folks. I want to get your tummies nice and warm with the recipe first.

Bean and Potato Soup (altered Bosnian “Grah”)

Serves 8

1 pound dried Great Northern beans

3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ large onion, thinly sliced

4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

8 cups water

¾-1 pound russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed

4 small carrots, sliced

1 bell pepper, sliced

2 large tomatoes, sliced

1 bunch of kale, stems removed and roughly chopped

2 tablespoons Ajvar*

1 tablespoon Vegeta** or salt

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon of pepper

Additional salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash beans under cold water and pick out any stones. Soak beans in plenty of cold water overnight or at least 6-8 hours. Make sure that the beans are in a cool temperature.

2. Drain the beans in a colander.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat in a large pot, and add onion and garlic. Cook the onion and garlic until softened for about 8 minutes.

4. Add the water and beans to the pot and raise the heat to high. Bring the soup to a boil, cover, and let simmer for about 1 hour.

5. Add the potato, bell pepper, carrot, vegeta or salt, and black pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, in another pot heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a small pot, and add the tomatoes. Cook until softened and juicy, about 3 minutes. Add the Ajvar and cook for about 1 minute.

7. Check to see if the beans are tender, if not; continue to simmer until they are.

8. Stir in the kale and cook until wilted.

Add extra salt and pepper to taste.

* Ajvar – is one of my favorite spiced spreads to use when I cook with tomatoes. It gives the dish a nice mild spice. The spread is made up of peppers, eggplant, etc. You can pick it up in any market that sells foreign food. I always get the ZerGüt brand.  

**Vegeta – the secret to most of my dishes is this all-purpose seasoning. You can pick this up also at a foreign food store. This is made by Podravka and imported from Croatia.

The soup is fairly simple to make and comes with great health benefits. I hope you give this recipe a try. Njam, Njam, Njam!