Transylvanian Green Bean Soup
Ingredients
Soup
Optional Toppings
Instructions
  1. Start by rinsing off your wax beans, snap off the tails, and then break them into bite-sized pieces.
  2. Mince your garlic and onions. Add butter or oil to a pan and saute your onions and minced garlic until they’re tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.

    I like to use my Le Creuset Dutch Oven for this step since I can continue using it while making the soup.
  3. While sauteeing the garlic and onions, chop your veggies: onions, carrots, celery, and any other veggies you might want to add, or have on hand. That’s the beauty of soup—you can’t go wrong adding more veggies!
  4. Chop your tomatoes separately, and set aside for later.
  5. Add your chopped veggies to the pan, except for the tomatoes. We don’t want them to disappear into nothingness (as tomatoes tend to do), so we’re saving them for a little bit later.
  6. Sautee for another 5 to 7 minutes.
  7. Add your chicken stock and wax beans to the pan, then salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
  8. Once the soup starts to boil, throw in your tomatoes and parsley (optional), and reduce heat.
  9. While the soup is stewing, pull out another smaller frying pan and begin to make a roux by adding a ladle-full of water or broth, taken directly from the soup, and slowly whisking in 3 tbsp flour. Once the flour and liquid are combined, and has a nice, light brown hue to it, add the roux to the soup, until mixed in.
  10. Serve and se bucura/enjoy!

    You can top it off with a dollop of the traditional sour cream, or a healthier alternative: Greek yogurt. As with any Romanian soups, having a slice of bread to sop up the remaining liquid is a must!