Turkish white bean soup with meat

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 125 g white beans
• 250 g beef goulash
• 250 g onion(s)
• 2 pointed peppers, light green
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp paprika paste
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp, leveled flour
• olive oil
• 700 ml vegetable stock
• 1 tsp, heaped paprika powder, sweet
• 1 tsp, leveled Pul Biber
• 1 tsp, leveled salt
• pepper
• ½ tsp cumin
• 1 tsp marjoram
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 5 minutes

Etli Kuru Fasulye

Wash the white beans and soak them in cold water for at least 6 hours. Change the water once during cooking. Drain the beans and bring to a boil in a pot with fresh water. Boil for about 5 minutes, then drain. Pre-cooking removes any foam and ensures that the beans cook more evenly. Peel and dice the onions. Deseed the pointed peppers and also dice them. Peel and chop the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a pressure cooker. Brown the meat all over, then add the diced onion and peppers and cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic and cook briefly. Then mix in the tomato and pepper paste and cook for 2-3 minutes. Mix in the butter along with the flour and add the spices. Pour in the broth until everything is well covered by 2-3 fingers. Close the lid. Bring the stew to a boil over high heat until pressure has built up (heat setting 2), then reduce the heat to low and cook the dish under pressure for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pot stand on the stovetop for another 30 minutes. Then release any remaining pressure if necessary. Season the stew again to taste and serve with rice or bulgur pilaf or flatbread. If you don’t use a pressure cooker, follow the same procedure, but the beans will need a good 90-120 minutes until they are tender. Tip: Kuru Fasulye is an authentic, simple, and very tasty stew. My version also contains light green pointed peppers. You can find these in Turkish shops under the name Carliston Biber. There is also a dark green variety, Sivri Biber, but these are quite hot. I also add cumin and herbs to the stew, which don’t actually belong in the original recipe. Paprika paste can be found either in Turkish shops or in the delicatessen section of well-stocked supermarkets, but be careful: There are mild (tatlı) and hot (acılı) paprika paste; I use the mild variety. The same applies to Pul Biber. So if you want it spicy, use the corresponding varieties. Afiyet olsun – Enjoy your meal.