Jókai bableves
Smoky bean soup with pork
Jókai bableves: smoky bean soup with pork knuckle, sausage, sour cream and pinched noodles
Mór Jókai, the nineteenth-century novelist, is said to have ordered this bean soup so often in his favourite Balatonfüred restaurant that it was named after him, and it is now a fixture of Budapest lunch menus and workers' canteens. This is a pork soup through and through: a smoked pork knuckle simmers with dried beans and roots until the meat falls apart, and slices of smoked pork sausage go in at the end. A paprika roux gives colour, a swirl of sour cream and a dash of vinegar add tang, and tiny pinched csipetke noodles make it a full meal with a slice of bread. Soak the beans overnight first. A common mistake is salting early; the smoked knuckle is salty, so taste only at the end. Chef's tip: simmer the knuckle for 30 minutes on its own first and taste the water; if it is very salty, throw it away and start again with fresh water.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the soup
- 10 ½ oz dried borlotti or pinto beanssoaked overnight, drained
- 1 ¾ lb smoked pork knuckle (hock)
- 10 ½ cups water
- 2 carrotsdiced
- 1 parsley root or parsnipdiced
- 3 ½ oz celeriacdiced
- 7 oz smoked pork sausage (ready to eat)sliced
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 2 garlic clovescrushed
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
- 5 ½ oz sour cream
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp saltto taste
For the csipetke
- 3 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 egg
- 1 pinch salt
To serve
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley (optional)chopped
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Put the 1 ¾ lb smoked pork knuckle (hock) in a large pot with the 10 ½ cups water and 2 bay leaves, bring to the boil over a high heat, then simmer gently for 30 minutes, skimming off the foam.
35 minStep 2: Add the drained 10 ½ oz dried borlotti or pinto beans and simmer, half covered, for 1 hour, until the beans are almost soft and the knuckle meat is tender.
60 minStep 3: Add the 2 carrots, 1 parsley root or parsnip and 3 ½ oz celeriac and simmer for 20 minutes more, until the beans are creamy and the vegetables tender.
20 minStep 4: Meanwhile knead the 3 ½ oz plain flour, 1 egg and 1 pinch salt into a stiff dough. Flatten it thinly and pinch off pea-sized pieces onto a floured plate.
10 minStep 5: Lift out the knuckle, pull the meat off the bone in chunks, discarding skin, fat and bone, and return the meat to the pot. It is fully cooked when it falls apart and reaches at least 160°F.
8 minStep 6: Heat the 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a small pan over a medium heat, fry the 1 onion for 5 minutes until soft, then stir in the 2 tbsp plain flour and cook for 2 minutes until pale gold.
7 minStep 7: Take the pan off the heat, stir in the 1 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika and 2 garlic cloves, then whisk in a ladle of the hot soup until smooth. Stir this back into the pot.
2 minStep 8: Add the 7 oz smoked pork sausage (ready to eat) and the csipetke and simmer for 10 minutes, until the noodles float and are tender and the sausage is hot right through (160°F).
10 minStep 9: Mix the 5 ½ oz sour cream with a ladle of hot soup, stir it into the pot with the 1 tbsp white wine vinegar and heat without boiling. Taste and add 1 tsp salt only if needed.
3 minStep 10: Serve hot, sprinkled with 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley. Leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge; reheat until piping hot.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 35 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 11 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jókai bableves take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 130 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
- What can I use instead of carrots?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
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