Dan's Papers - January 18, 2008 - Silvia Lehrer's Cooking Column

Food writers are often asked, "Where do recipes come from?" It brought to mind memories of a soup my husband was served at a colleague's home while traveling in the Orient on business many years ago. The colleague's wife, of French heritage, prepared a hearty Hungarian goulash soup for his visit. Somewhere I still have the hand-written recipe he was given for me to reproduce at home. Whatever adjustments I made resulted in just about the best antidote for these frosty days of mid-winter.

The white bean soup with red pepper and Swiss chard is simply a take on a bean stew I had growing up. Every Friday night my mother prepared "fejones," a long cooking Sephardic white bean dish served in small portions over rice at the beginning of dinner. Perhaps she didn't prepare it in the heat of summer, I don't really remember, but it was a strong enough ritual to identify with year round eating. What I do remember is the warmth and satisfying richness of the sauce simmering away with beans, vegetables, a bit of meat and sweet red pepper. I had some blanched Swiss chard the last time I made the dish and simply added it to the fejones. With the addition of shreds of roast chicken, which we traditionally had after the bean stew, and the Swiss chard, it makes a perfectly delicious one dish meal.

These hearty, one dish soups require a bit of time, some effort and care in preparation but no doubt worthwhile and, for the cook who cares, worth your while.

HUNGARIAN GOULASH SOUP
The list of ingredients may appear long but they add up to a simple stew incorporating red wine vinegar and capers for a piquant flavor. For flavors to meld, prepare one or two days ahead.
Serves 8-10

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
3 1/2 pounds lean chuck, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons imported Hungarian paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse (kosher) salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, thinly sliced
5-6 cups beef broth
2 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into tiny dice
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, rinsed, trimmed and quartered
1 tablespoon capers
Croutons, optional

1. In a heavy 5-6 quart enamel-over-iron, such as Le Creuset, or stainless steel saucepan, heat oil, add onions, and saute until translucent, being careful not to brown. With wooden spatula, move onions to side of pan, add meat, and saute over moderately high heat until lightly brown on all sides. Add garlic and vinegar and cook just until vinegar evaporates. Add paprika, salt, pepper, tomato paste, rosemary, parsley, and sausages and stir to mix. Add broth, stir to mix, and then simmer with cover ajar for 45-50 minutes.
2. Add potatoes, mushrooms, capers and gently stir to mix. Cover pan and cook 15-20 minutes longer or until meat and potatoes are tender. Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated in a suitable container. Bring to room temperature and reheat if preparing ahead. Serve piping hot in warm soup bowls. Garnish with croutons if desired.

WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH SWISS CHARD AND RED PEPPER
White bean stew was a familiar dish in my home growing up. Here I've adapted the dish to add Swiss chard, sweet red pepper and optional shreds of cooked chicken for a hearty one-dish supper.
Serves 6

1 pound package Great Northern beans
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, trimmed, deseeded and diced
Coarse (kosher) salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 head Swiss chard, well washed and blanched
3-4 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley

Shred of cooked chicken, optional

1. Rinse beans then soak overnight in bowl of cold water to cover.
2. The next day heat oil in a 5-6 quart stainless steel or enamel-over-iron saucepan and when hot saute the onion, carrots and red pepper. Saute over medium heat for several minutes until onion is translucent and season with salt and pepper to taste. Drain the beans and add to the vegetables. Cover with fresh cold water by about 2 inches from the surface of the beans. Bring to a boil and skim off any scum that rises to the top. Adjust heat and cook at a brisk simmer with cover ajar for 50 minutes to one hour. There should be enough liquid to cover the beans at all times. About ten minutes before beans are cooked, season with salt to taste but do not stir.
3. Meanwhile, trim and wash Swiss chard leaves and blanch in salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain Swiss chard in a sieve over a bowl to catch the liquid. Coarsely chop the leaves. Stir the greens into the bean soup, adding the reserved liquid as necessary and simmer for another 10-15 minutes or so until beans are tender and heated through. Stir in shreds of cooked chicken if using. Taste for seasonings and serve hot.