Just when I thought the winter has lost its grip on us, it’s snowing again and it’s bitter cold outside. I guess I’ll have to patiently wait for the spring.. In the meantime I decided to cure the winter blues with a cup of familiar, good Bosnian Bean Soup. In Bosnia and the regions of Balkan, this soup has been around for hundreds of years. It is simply called “beans” (grah) and when you say “grah” everyone knows what you’re talking about. Most families have their own, family recipe which they swear to be the best one around. I think my recipe is pretty darn good too! 
This flavorful, hearty soup is made from dried beans, so it takes a while to be done, but I’ll tell you the wait is absolutely worth it. If you would find yourself in a conversation with an older Bosnian lady and if you (God forbid) mentioned that you have used canned beans to make grah, she would be seriously mad (if not offended) and she would use all of her powers of persuasion to change your mind and to point you in the right direction when it comes to preparing grah.
Although I am not going to be mad if you use canned beans, I would strongly suggest – don’t. I am speaking from my own experience here. Take the time and make this soup the proper way and you will be rewarded with a best cup of bean soup you ever had.
Since I don’t have a way to get the real Bosnian beans here in the US, I tried substituting them with pinto beans, black eyed peas and kidney beans. None of these have worked too well. Recently I found peruano beans which are just perfect for this soup and if not the same, then they are very similar to my favorite Bosnian beans.
As we (Bosnians) are pretty serious meat eaters, we like to add some nice smoked meat to the soup. I usually add authentic Bosnian smoked beef, but smoked pork ribs or similar will also give it a great flavor. Smoked meat from Balkans would require a whole new post, so I will just say that if you would really like to have some, try any store with products from Balkan. Serve the soup with some good, crusty bread. This is essential because you will be dipping that bread into soup and using it to pick up the last drops from your cup! In the winter time we also might serve this soup with pickled vegetables such as pickles, pickled peppers, sarena salata (a mix of various pickled veggies), pickled peppers stuffed with sauerkraut, etc.)
Bosnian Bean Soup (Grah)
Ingredients:
- 500 g (17 oz) dry peruano beans
- 1-2 l water
- 1 medium onion
- 1 medium carrot
- 1/4 of a green bell pepper
- 250 g (9 oz) smoked beef (cubed)
- 1 TSP salt
- 1 TSP vegeta
- 1/4 TSP fresh ground black pepper
- Bay leaf (optional)
- 1 TBSP tomato paste
- 2 TBSP cooking oil
- 3-4 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 2 TBSP flour
- 1 TSP ground paprika
Preparation:
*** Soaking the beans in cold water over night will reduce the cooking time.
- If you have pre-soaked the beans, rinse them, place in a large cooking pot and go to number 1.
- If you didn’t soak the beans, place them in a cooking pot, add water and let it boil for a few minutes, rinse and add fresh water.
- Finely chop onion, carrot and the bell pepper. Add it to the beans and let it boil. Reduce the temperature to medium, cover the pot slightly and let it cook for about 1 hour. Occasionally check if water level has decreased, add additional water to always keep the same level of liquid in the pot.
- After 1 hour add all spices and cubed smoked meat (polish sausage or similar can be used too, but then you will add them at the last half hour of cooking time). Cook for another 1 to 1.5 hours. To check if beans are ready take a few out of the pot and squeeze them between your thumb and index finger. If they are soft and creamy, and the peel comes off they are ready. The soup will look thick and it will smell wonderfully.
- Now add tomato paste and let it incorporate well into the soup.
- It is time now to make the roux to thicken the soup.
- Peel and finely chop 3-4 garlic cloves. Using medium setting, heat 2 TBSP oil in a small frying pan. Toss the chopped garlic in oil just until fragrant.
- Add flour and mix it with a wooden spoon until all crumbs disappear and flour starts changing its color to a very light brown. Now add paprika and again mix well. Pour the roux into the soup. This might produce a lively reaction. Give it a nice stir, reduce the heat and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Serve warm with a slice of a nice, crusty bread.
- This soup freezes well and keeps well in the fridge for at least 3-4 days.
Smoked beef meat
Steps of making roux
Tagged: bean soup, Beans, Bosnia, ethnic food, grah, recipes, smoked beef
Not your usual splendid baking, but I’m just as happy. Looks delicious. Now I’m on a quest to find peruano beans.
Thanks Darryl!
Peruano beans are a new discovery for me too. They are creamy and don’t need 5 hours to cook!
A very hearty and appealing soup, especially with the addition of the smoked beef – bags of flavour, no doubt! Thanks.
Your description fits perfectly, I wouldn’t said it better myself! Thank YOU!
What a wonderful post! I love that you’ve given us some steps to making a proper roux. And, your finished soup is presented beautifully!
Thank you! I am so glad you liked my post! I really enjoy taking food photos (even though I am an absolute amateur)
Mmmm…It’s medicine for (us) emigrated souls
Haha, I agree!
Sibella this looks like a beautiful hearty soup. I love the beans the spices and the smoked beef it looks like something I would want to warm my soul on a cold winters day. Can you do me a favor, I am having a difficult time leaving comments on everyone’s site. It either goes immediately to spam or is not going through. I am going to leave 3 messages for you. The first one is from my old wordpress account and then I will try to comment with my new site and then from facebook. Can you let me know if any of them go through and do they go directly to spam. Thanks a bunch. BAM
Thanks Bobbi!
Okay it looks like it will let me comment using my old wordpress acount but now I will try to comment using my new .com account and then facebook.
It is now working I am so happy and here is one from my facebook account.. You know I really love your soup. Feel free to delete these comments used for a testing purpose. Take care, BAM
It is working, I am glad!
Woo Hoo… It is working now! Wishing you a super day and take care, BAM
This soup sounds so wonderful Sibella. I thought spring was on the way too but then I woke up to frost this morning. I need a bowl of this, stat!
Thanks Korena! It’s been snowing here off and on for three days now…. This soup sure helped to warm me up!
Sibella, your soup sounds delicious and I would love to have some right now because we, too, are having a very, very chilly day in the NY State Fingerlakes area. I checked our local supermarket’s website and no peruano beans or Bosnian beans. Then, because peruano beans are supposed to be Mexican, I searched for Mexican beans but all that came up was beans for Mexican coffee. Oh, well, I can dream.
Thanks Kathleen! A Mexican store might have them, or you can try using some other beans… Stay warm! Hopefully winter is over soon!
Looks good – Croatians like their meat as well. My mother adds some spek to her bean stews
Thanks! Spek is very good too, but it’s hard to find authentic one… Thanks for visiting!
We have it here in Toronto
Lucky you! I actually ordered some online along with some other products and expecting delivery next week.
We have many Croatian and Bosnian butchers who carry all the goodies – cevaps, burek and the goodies from back home
That’s nice! I live in a city with a very small Balkan population that’s why we lack all the goodies. Usually I have to make a trip to Chicago to be able to buy our products. In the winter time I usually order online.
This is such a lovely and hearty soup, it would be perfect to fill you up and take out winter’s chill! It must taste just wonderful!
Thanks Barb! You are right, this soup is hearty and it fills you up good. I always make it as a main dish with addition of some good bread.
Oh yes, we Bosnians enjoy our Grah, especially when it is so cold outside, brrr….:) Lovely presentation, Sibella!
I so agree with you Tanja! Thanks so much for visiting! Hvala!
This looks really delicious, not sure I can find the beans here in Singapore though… guess I can only satisfy my craving with the beautiful photos of yours!
Thanks so much Jasline!
This looks so good. could speck be used in place of the smoked beef? i’m not sure i could get it.
Thanks chef mimi!
Yes, speck can be used too or pork shanks work as well.
It seems I am having the same problem as Bam as my comments aren’t going through. I decided to on another day. Your soup looks delicious and would be perfect for our snowy weather.
Meant to say “decided to try on another day”. Looks like the comments are going through now…that is a good thing.
Hi Karen! Yes, comments are going through! Thanks for stopping by and commenting! As I write this it’s snowing outside, again… One good thing is that last few days I can hear birds chirping every morning I wake up and that can mean only one thing: spring is just around the corner!
Have a great day Karen!
Very nice,Sibella! I did a blog on beans as well.I am unfamiliar with either ‘Bosnian’ beans or peruano beans.You are right, beans are often NOT interchangeable! Kidney, black, pinto, etc. all have unique flavors. I will have to look for peruanos.Thanks for the tip!
I was surfing around looking for different from-scratch grah recipes (while eating one I just made with canned beans and a packet of grah flavor mix–don’t kill me!). So glad to find your site! If any of your readers are in the Boston area, the little Bosnian market on Ferry Street in Everett carries the real Bosnian beans. They also have the smoked beef, as does the huge Market Basket in Chelsea.
Hello Jen! I am glad you’ve stopped by!
I am curious about how did you get familiar with Bosnian food? I have a one good fellow blogger who lives in Boston area and I will make sure to tell her about the Bosnian goodies places.
Thanks again Jen!
Sibella
I picked it up from many friends here in Boston and in-laws. =) The store is Elma Market at 44 Ferry Street. Your reader would know the Market Basket chain. In the Chelsea location they actually have a named Bosnian Food aisle! There’s yet another ex-Yugo market on Broadway in Revere (https://www.facebook.com/fivestarmarket). These 3 stores are all near each other. Lots of BiH-ers around here.
Oh, now I understand!
I will pass the info onto my friend! Thank you so much! 