Serbian bean soup

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 125 g beans, white, dried
• Water for soaking
• 1,250 ml water
• 1 tbsp vegetable broth
• 150 g smoked tofu
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 onion(s)
• 5 carnations
• 10 juniper berries
• 1 stalk(s) leek
• 2 medium-sized bell peppers
• 1 can kidney beans
• 2 carrots
• 1 can tomato(s) (Pizza tomatoes, 400 g)
• 150 g potatoes
• 500 g beans, green
• 1 tbsp paprika powder, sweet
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp marjoram
• 1 tbsp savory
• 2 pinches of cayenne pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 14 hours

vegetarian (vegan) version

Rinse the white beans and soak them overnight in cold water. The next day, peel the onion and stud it with the cloves. Drain the soaked beans and bring to a boil in 1250 ml of water along with the studded onion, bay leaves, and juniper berries. Simmer for about 1 hour without adding salt. In the meantime, dice the potatoes, carrots, smoked tofu, and bell peppers, and finely slice the leek. Cut the green beans into bite-sized pieces (or use frozen beans). Add everything to the white beans. Add the tomatoes. Season with vegetable stock, herbs, and cayenne pepper. Continue simmering until the green beans are tender but still have a bite. Drain the kidney beans, rinse them, and drain well, then add them to the soup until warm. Remove the cloves from the onion and return them to the soup in finely chopped pieces. If the soup is too thick, add a little more water or season to taste.