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A spoon holding bean soup above the blue bowl, on an orange background.

High Protein Balkan Bean Soup

Aida
Nourishing Balkan bean soup brimming with protein.
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Prep Time 4 hours
Soaking Time 8 hours
Total Time 12 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
Servings 4
Calories 495 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 12-14 ounces  dry beans (kidney, navy, white northern or canary, etc) soaked overnight
  • 2-3 tablespoons oil vegetable or other
  • 1-2 onions minced
  • 2-3 garlic cloves minced
  • 4-5 ounces dried beef or ham, ham hock, sausage, etc.
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1-2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 bouillon cube or 1 tablespoon Vegeta or stock powder

Instructions
 

  • Soaking: In a large bowl (or pot) cover beans with water, and leave to soak for 7-8 hours (or overnight). The following day strain the beans and discard the water. Wash again, strain, and set aside. 
  • Soup: In a deep pot, heat oil over high, and add onion and garlic. Lower to medium and simmer until translucent (2-3 minutes). Add carrots and meat. Simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes while stirring. Add a pinch of water if necessary.
  • Add the seasonings and beans in, and cover with 6-7 cups of water (1.5 liters). Mix ingredients well, cover with a lid, and raise the temperature to high until the liquid boils (about 15 minutes).
  • Bring the temperature down to low, and continue cooking until the beans are super soft.  (Think about 2.5-3.5 hours.) If you lose a lot of liquid, add another cup of water (200 milliliters) during cooking.
  • "Roux": Take 2-3 ladles of the soup and blend. Return to the pot and stir. Cook 5 more minutes and remove from heat.
  • Serve warm or hot with a salad of choice.
    Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
    Freeze by cooling down to room temperature and portion it out into freezerware. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bring up to room temperature and reheat when ready to eat.
    Reheat using your preferred method. If the soup is too thick, add a little bit of water, or broth.

Notes

  • Serving Size and Nutritional Information
Serving size is generous. If your servings are smaller, you can serve up to 5-6. Nutritional information was calculated for 4 servings.
  • Cooking time:
The length of cooking time varies depending on the type of bean, age of bean, stove, and whether you're using a pressure cooker/Instant Pot or a regular pot. "Younger beans" will take a shorter period of time. (Younger beans are those that were stored for a shorter period of time.)
  • Ingredients:
Beans you can use for this ham and bean soup recipe are: cannellini, navy, great northern, canary beans, kidney beans, black beans, cranberry beans, pinto beans, and black-eyed peas. Avoid chickpeas, soybeans, and canned beans. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 4Calories: 495kcalCarbohydrates: 68.5gProtein: 30gFat: 13g
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