Bean Dishes

It is customary in Romania for the authorities to distribute free bean dishes to the people taking part in the festivities to celebrate the national day on December 1stand the Union of the Romanian Principalities on January the 24th.

România Internațional, 06.02.2013, 16:18

It is customary in Romania for the authorities to distribute free bean dishes to the people taking part in the festivities to celebrate the national day on December 1stand the Union of the Romanian Principalities on January the 24th.

Beans boiled in salted water and mixed with finely cut onion make for a tasty salad and can also be used as a starter. Beans boiled and mashed, on top of which you can spread a layer of sautéed onion, stewed in tomato juice, is an excellent side dish for a barbecue dish.

First soak the beans for a few hours before boiling them. As soon as the water reaches boiling point, we discard the water and refill the pot.

Add one or two sliced carrots, two finely cut medium onions, two bay leaves and a few black pepper corns. Season to taste when ready. This dish goes well with sausages or pork chops. Another popular dish is bean soup.

You’ll need 250 grams of beans, 3 carrots, one onion, a couple of bay leaves and a bit of thyme, tomato juice or stock, but also little bit of smoked pork meat or bacon. Soak the beans for a few hours before cooking, then put all the ingredients together in a pot and then boil on low heat for about 45 minutes.

Pour a bit of tomato juice, sprinkle a bit of thyme and allow everything to boil for another fifteen minutes. You can add a spoonful of vinegar to give it a bit of zing and season to taste. This soup is usually served with a special bread roll that also contains potatoes, which gives it a fuller flavour. Enjoy!