Rassolnik with Beans and Bacon

Let’s cook not quite a usual rassolnik without meat but with bacon. We will add beans as well for nourishment. We will do without meat broth that simplifies the cooking, but the beans prolong it. And to make the beans cook faster, soak them in advance for a few hours.

Summary

Ingredients

• Red beans – 150 g
• Bacon – 120 g
• Pickled cucumbers – 1-2 pcs.
• Potatoes – 4 pcs.
• Celery root – 50 g
• Carrots – 50 g
• Onions – 1 pc
• Garlic – 1 clove
• Tomato paste – 1 tablespoon.
• Sunflower oil – 60 ml
• Bay leaves – 1 pc.
• Coriander – 0.5 teaspoon.
• Pepper – to taste
• Salt – to taste
• Parsley (or cilantro, or dill) – to taste
• Water – 2 l

Instructions

1. Soak the beans for a few hours. You can soak them the night before.

   

2. Pour the soaked beans with clean water and simmer it for an hour and a half.
3. Finely chop the onion.
4. Dice the potatoes.
5. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater.
6. Finely chop the celery.
7. Heat a frying pan with 3 tablespoon. of vegetable oil. Place the carrots and onions into the pan.
8. Add the celery to onions and carrots and stir-fry over medium heat for 5-7 minutes.

   

9. Add the tomato paste to the fried-up vegetables and stew them for another minute.
10. Cut the bacon into strips and fry it in the pan with the rest of the vegetable oil.

    

11. Add the bacon, bay leaf, and potatoes to the beans. Cook for 5 minutes.
12. Grate the pickles on a coarse grater. Add them to the pot and cook for another 10 minutes.

    

13. Add the sauteed vegetables and cook them until done.
14. Squeeze the garlic through a press. Finely chop parsley or cilantro, or dill. Leave some herbs to serve the soup. Add the garlic, fresh herbs, salt, pepper, coriander to the cooked soup. Stir, cover with the lid, and leave the soup for 10 minutes.

Enjoy your meal!