Recipe: Hungarian Yellow Wax Bean Soup

My dad doesn't remember but I have a distinct memory of my Hungarian grandmother making soup with these yellow wax beans. She loved sour cream and would make any excuse she had to put a dollop on this or a dollop on that. Since this recipe calls for 1 full cup of sour cream, I'm sure that was her draw to this soup — besides the fact she grew these beans right in her own backyard!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh trimmed yellow wax beans (ends removed and cut into 2-inch pieces)
• 1/2 cup diced celery root
• 6 1/4 cups cup water
• 1t salt 
• 2T butter
• 2T flour
• 1/2t pepper
• 1/2t sweet Hungarian paprika (plus additional for sprinkling)
• 1 cup sour cream

Add salt to the water and bring water to a boil with the celery root. Once the water begins to boil add the yellow wax beans, allowing them to simmer until soft. This will take about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the beans to begin cooling in the liquid. Do not drain.

The next step is making the roux. Roux's sound intimidating but are really quite simple. Melt your butter in a sauce pan, add the flour and whisk while on the stove. You really want the flour to become a light amber color, so be careful not to burn it. You can remove it from the heat, whisking as needed to obtain this consistency and hue.

Next we need to add the pepper and paprika, whisking it into the original roux.

Take 1/4 of the cooking liquid from the beans and whisk it into the roux. Continue adding up to get a smooth paste like pictured above. Remove from the stove and set aside.

Again taking a 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid, slowly pour it into your sour cream, stirring to temper and prevent it from curdling. Once tempered slowly add it to the roux mixture whisking as you pour. You're going for a thick creamy mixture without chunks, so it take a few steps.

We now want to take this mixture and add it to the green beans, stirring to incorporate. Taste and adjust salt and pepper — then call it a done deal!

Sprinkle each bowl with paprika before serving. This is a wonderful summer soup of which I have fond memories. It can be served at room temperature, warmed, or my favorite — cold.

E.A.T. local E.A.T. well