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    Home / Balkan Kitchen / Pasulj

    Pasulj

    Pasulj is a deeply comforting white bean soup, slow-simmered with smoked meat, onion, and paprika until the broth turns rich and silky.

    ⏱ 20 minPrep time
    🔥 1 hr 30 minCook time
    🍽 6Servings
    🏷 Balkan KitchenCategory
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    Pasulj is a deeply comforting white bean soup, slow-simmered with smoked meat, onion, and paprika until the broth turns rich and silky. Humble ingredients, extraordinary flavor.

    A beloved cold-weather staple across the Balkans, pasulj is served piping hot with cornbread or crusty bread and a few pickled peppers on the side. Many families insist the second-day version is even better.

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    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Drain the soaked beans into a large pot with 8 cups of fresh water; simmer for 1 hour.
    2. In a skillet, brown the sausage, then add the onion, carrots, and garlic; cook 5 minutes.
    3. Stir the sausage mixture, tomato paste, paprika, bay leaf, salt, and pepper into the beans.
    4. Simmer 30-45 minutes more, until the beans are tender and the broth is rich.
    5. Discard the bay leaf and serve hot, with bread on the side.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    A smoky sausage or a ham bone takes this soup to the next level. It thickens overnight, so thin it with a little water when reheating.

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    Recipe details

    Prep20 min
    Cook1 hr 30 min
    Servings6
    CategoryBalkan Kitchen
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

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