Jókai Bableves is the perfect cozy soup for a chilly day. It’s full of protein and root vegetables. It’s a traditional soup in Transylvania, which originated from Hungary. Easy to make yet so flavor-packed and served with sour cream and fresh bread.
Jokai Bableves is a very popular soup around Hungary to this day. Like many others, this bean soup has also remained popular in Transylvania. It’s named after a famous Hungarian novelist, Jókai Mór, who loved this soup tremendously. He always ordered this soup in the restaurant, and it was named after him from honor.
It’s the perfect weekday soup people love and cherish because it was passed down through generations. It’s special, unique and versatile. It can be made with meat, sausage, or a simple vegetarian soup with no meat. It’s up to you.
Despite its richness, it often contains “csipetke” a Hungarian homemade pinched noodle, smoked pork hocked pieces, and sausage. My family doesn’t eat pork, so I substitute it with beef pieces. I grew up not adding the pinched noodles in it, but it doesn’t change its richness. This bean soup makes a lunch or dinner itself, and it is served with sour cream and white bread.
Are you a fan of Transylvanian soups? I have a good news. We are known for having many delicious soups originating from Hungary or Romania. Hungarian Caraway Soup and the traditional Chicken Soup are both treasured, all around the country. They are easy to make, pleasant soups for any day of the week.
Why You’ll Love It?
There are so many reasons I love this soup, including:
- Protein-packed.
- Versatile. This can be made also as a vegetarian soup.
- Perfect weekday lunch.
- It is a meal itself.
- Easy to make.
- Kids Friendly.
Ingredients for the Jókai Bableves
For The Beef
- Beef – the original recipe calls for pork hocked pieces and sausage. I don’t eat pork so as an alternative, I used beef meet
- Red Onion – I chopped the onion, but it can be put in as a whole.
- Garlic – add it as a whole
- Whole Black Pepper – you can use also powder
- Bay Leaves
- Salt
Make The Soup
- Vegetable Oil – for sauteing the onion and garlic
- Red Onion – chop the onion for sauteing
- Garlic – mince the garlic
- Paprika Powder – the ingredient that never missing our culture
- Dry Pinto Beans – soak them in water for overnight or 12 hours
- Salt and Black Pepper – to taste
- Bay Leaves
- Carrots – chop them up in little slices
- Parsnip – same for the parsnip
- Celery – you can add it as a whole
- Chicken Bouillon Powder – I forgot to place this ingredient in the picture, but believe me you’ll need it.
- Fresh Parsley
For The Roux
- Sour Cream
- All-Purpose Flour
How to Make Jókai bableves?
Soak the dry pinto beans in cold water for twelve hours, or at least overnight.
Cook the Beef (ahead of time)
Add the beef to a soup pot and pour enough water to cover the meat. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and whole black peppers, salt, and cook the meat until it’s tender. You can make this step ahead of time.
Before adding the beef (with its water) to the soup remove all the ingredients including onions, garlic, bay leaves, and whole black pepper.
Prepare the Soup
Heat vegetable oil in a large pot and saute the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes. Add paprika powder, salt, black pepper, soaked pinto beans with water, carrots, celery, parsnip, and bay leaves when the onions are translucent.
Pour the beef with the broth into the soup. Add chicken bouillon powder and stir gently.
Simmer gently for about 40 minutes, or until the beans have cooked to your liking.
How to make the Roux
In a small bowl, mix the sour cream with the flour until you get a creamy texture. Add 2-3 tablespoons of broth into this mixture to temper it and pour it back into the broth.
Mix everything well, and add the chopped parsley. Simmer 10 more minutes.
Common Questions
What goes well with bean soup?
As I mentioned earlier, this bean soup can be a meal itself. It has proteins, fresh root vegetablesand white breadon the side. For optional, you just need a small desert at the end, and your done. 🙂 I remember my grandma making pancakes after this soup. I know it’s sounds weird, but in the Hungarian culture pancakes (crépes) are served also as a dessert. Especially after a meal of soup like jókai bableves.
Can I make it ahead of time?
The original recipe says to cook the meat (or smoked pork hocked) ahead of time and use it’s broth for the soup. This step can be made a day before. If you use beef meat like me, you can also cook it the same time like the pito beans or ahead of time like I did. Depends on you.
Storing/Freezing the Jókai Bableves
Store the soup in an air-tight container up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Freeze the soup in an air-tight container or ziplac bag for up to 3 months.
Jókai Bean Soup (Jókai Bableves)
Ingredients
Cook The Beef
- 1 lb beef pieces
- ½ large red onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 12 whole black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 bay leaves
Preparation of the Soup
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ large onion chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 tbsp paprika powder
- 16 oz dry pinto beans
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 4 bay leaves
- 4 medium carrots peeled and sliced
- 1 large parsnip peeled and sliced
- 2 long celery sliced
- 2 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley
For The Roux
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Soak the dry pinto beans in cold water for twelve hours, or at least overnight.16 oz dry pinto beans
Cook the Beef (ahead of time)
- Add the beef to a soup pot and pour enough water to cover the meat. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and whole black peppers, salt, and cook the meat until it's tender. You can make this step ahead of time.1 lb beef pieces, ½ large red onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 12 whole black pepper, 3 bay leaves, 1 tsp salt
- Before adding the beef (with its water) to the soup remove all the ingredients including onions, garlic, bay leaves, and whole black pepper.
Prepare the Soup
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pot and saute the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes. Add paprika powder, salt, black pepper, soaked pinto beans with water, carrots, celery, parsnip, and bay leaves when the onions are translucent.2 tbsp vegetable oil, ½ large onion, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 tbsp paprika powder, salt, 4 bay leaves, 4 medium carrots, 1 large parsnip, 2 long celery, black pepper
- Pour the beef with the broth into the soup. Add chicken bouillon powder and stir gently.2 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
- Simmer gently for about 40 minutes, or until the beans have cooked to your liking.
How to make the Roux
- In a small bowl, mix the sour cream with the flour until you get a creamy texture. Add 2-3 tablespoons of broth into this mixture to temper it and pour it back into the broth.2 tbsp sour cream, 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- Mix everything well, and add the chopped parsley.2 tbsp fresh parsley
- Simmer for 10 more minutes.
- Enjoy!
Juliette
So delicious. I served it without sour cream, but it came out really delicious. My grandmother used to make it for me, and this reminded me of the old times. Thank you