Name: Czech legume soup hrstková
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 6 portions
Ingredients: 80 g dried peas; 80 g lentils; 80 g beans; 80 g pearl barley; 400 g potatoes; 2 l water; 250 g Moravian smoked meat; 150 g carrot; 100 g onion; 15 g garlic; 40 g lard; 2 pcs bay leaves; 1 teaspoon caraway; 40 g plain flour; 1 teaspoon marjoram; salt; ground pepper

Step by step process

Soaking and cooking the legumes

1
This soup starts with the legumes, so pick over the split peas, lentils, beans and pearl barley, rinse them and let them swell overnight or for at least 8 hours in cold water.
TIP:
Soaking legumes in cold water for 4-12 hours before cooking shortens their cooking time and reduces flatulence by removing unpleasant substances. After soaking, drain the water and cook them in fresh water.
2
Drain the soaked legumes, put them in a large pot and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for about 40 minutes, until they begin to soften.
3
Peel the potatoes, cut them into cubes and add them to the pot. Cook for another 15 minutes so the potatoes soften but do not fall apart.

Vegetables and smoked meat

4
Cut the Moravian smoked meat into small cubes and drop it into the soup so it cooks through and lends the broth its smoky flavour.
5
Melt the lard in a pan and sauté the finely chopped onion until golden. Add the grated carrot and the pressed garlic and sauté briefly.
TIP:
Sauté the onion over medium heat until golden or translucent. Add the garlic at the end and sauté briefly to release the aroma, but do not burn it.
6
Stir the sautéed vegetables along with the bay leaf and caraway into the soup and cook together for another 15 minutes, until all the ingredients are soft.

Thickening and seasoning

7
In a pan, make a light roux from a little lard and plain flour. Stir it into a ladle of lukewarm soup so no lumps form, then pour it back into the pot.
8
Simmer the soup for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Stir in the marjoram and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.