Serbian-style bean soup

Ingredients for 5 servings:

• 1 gr. can/n beans, white with liquid, 800 g
• 300 g Cabanossi, quartered and sliced
• 200 g bacon cubes
• 200 g onion(s), finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 400 g bell pepper(s), colored, cut into approx. 1 x 1 cm pieces
• 150 g leek, finely diced
• 150 g carrot(s), finely diced
• 150 g celery, finely diced
• 1 liter beef broth
• 400 g tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp marjoram, shredded
• 1 tbsp paprika powder, sweet
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• some parsley, chopped
• some savory
• some oil for frying

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes

Heat a little oil in a large pot and fry the bacon cubes. Add the onions and garlic and fry briefly. Add a little pepper to the pot and sweat with the diced bell pepper. Add the leek, carrots, and celery, mix thoroughly, and braise for one minute. Add the marjoram, paprika, and tomato paste and mix well with a wooden spoon. Pour in the beef broth, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the soup gently in a covered pot for 10 minutes. Add the peeled and diced tomatoes. Mix in the beans and liquid and simmer gently for another 5 minutes. Overcooking will cause the beans to burst, which doesn’t look good on the plate. Turn off the heat. Add the Cabanossi slices, chopped parsley, and two generous pinches of savory, mix thoroughly, and let stand for 5 minutes. Season the bean soup with salt and pepper to taste.