Equipment
Ingredients
Beans and Broth
- 300 g pinto beans, dried
- 800 g smoked ham hock, whole
- 2500 ml water, cold
- 3 bay leaves, dried
- 2 g black peppercorns, whole
Vegetables
- 150 g yellow onion, diced
- 200 g carrots, peeled and sliced
- 150 g parsnip, peeled and sliced
- 100 g celeriac, peeled and cubed
- 3 garlic, minced
Paprika Roux (Rantas)
- 30 g pork lard
- 30 g all-purpose flour
- 2 garlic, minced
- 15 g sweet hungarian paprika, ground
- 5 g smoked paprika, ground
Finishing and Garnish
- 150 g sour cream, chilled
- 10 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 15 ml apple cider vinegar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 638 kcal
- Protein
- 41 g
- Carbohydrates
- 51 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fiber
- 12 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 895 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 15 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 20 mg
- Potassium
- 1482 mg
- Calcium
- 153 mg
- Iron
- 5.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 121 mg
- Phosphorus
- 302 mg
- Zinc
- 5.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 411 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 16 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.9 mg
- Vitamin K
- 51 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.45 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.25 mg
- Niacin
- 1.7 mg
- Folate
- 299 mcg
- Water
- 533 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the dried pinto beans in a large mixing bowl, cover with plenty of cold water, and soak overnight for at least 12 hours. Drain and rinse thoroughly before cooking.
Place the smoked ham hock in a large soup pot. Pour in the 2500ml of cold water and bring to a rolling boil at 100°C/212°F. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 1.5 hours.
Add the soaked, drained beans, bay leaves, and black peppercorns to the pot with the ham hock. Continue to simmer gently for 45 minutes.
While the beans cook, use a chef knife and cutting board to dice the onions, slice the carrots and parsnips into 1cm thick rounds, and cut the celeriac into small cubes. Mince the garlic for the soup base.
Add the prepared carrots, parsnips, celeriac, onions, and minced garlic to the soup pot. Simmer for another 40 minutes, or until both the vegetables and beans are completely tender.
Carefully remove the ham hock from the pot using tongs. Let it rest on the cutting board until cool enough to handle. Discard the skin, fat, and bones, then shred the meat into bite-sized pieces and return it to the soup.
To make the roux, melt the pork lard in a medium skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture turns a light golden brown and smells nutty.
Remove the skillet from the heat completely. Immediately whisk in the 2 cloves of minced garlic, sweet Hungarian paprika, and smoked paprika. Let the residual heat toast the spices for 30 seconds until highly fragrant.
Ladle about 250ml of the hot soup broth into the skillet with the paprika roux. Whisk vigorously to create a smooth, lump-free paste, then scrape this entire thickened mixture back into the main soup pot.
Stir the soup well and let it simmer at approximately 90°C/195°F for 10 to 15 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste and allow the broth to thicken. Stir in the apple cider vinegar if using. Taste the soup and add salt only if necessary, as the ham hock provides ample sodium.
Ladle the piping hot soup into deep bowls. Garnish each serving with a generous dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley.
Chef's Notes
- Always remove the roux skillet from the heat source before adding the paprika. Paprika burns very quickly due to its high sugar content, which will impart a bitter taste to the entire soup.
- The saltiness of smoked ham hocks can vary drastically. Do not add any additional salt to the soup until the very end of the cooking process after the meat has fully rendered its seasoning into the broth.
- Traditional Hungarian cooking often uses a combination of parsley root and celeriac. If you cannot find parsley root, parsnip makes an excellent substitute that brings a similar earthy sweetness.
- For the most authentic flavor, seek out high-quality sweet Hungarian paprika from the Szeged or Kalocsa regions. Standard supermarket paprika often lacks the depth and vibrant red color necessary for this dish.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. The soup will thicken considerably as it cools.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze without the sour cream garnish for best texture upon thawing.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium heat, adding a splash of water or broth to thin out the consistency if needed. Ensure it reaches an internal temperature of 74°C/165°F before serving.
Troubleshooting
Beans remain tough and chalky after hours of simmering
Cause: The dried beans were too old, or acidic ingredients were added to the pot too early in the cooking process
Fix: Add a pinch of baking soda to the cooking liquid to alter the pH and help them soften, then continue simmering
Prevention: Ensure dried beans are fresh (purchased within the last year) and never add vinegar or tomatoes until beans are completely soft
The broth has a bitter, harsh taste and dark specks
Cause: The paprika was burned while making the hot roux
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Always remove the skillet from the heat source completely before whisking in the paprika
Cultural Context
Jokai bableves is named after the renowned 19th-century Hungarian writer Mor Jokai, who was known to frequent restaurants in Balatonfured and request a very specific, rich bean soup featuring smoked pork and sour cream. Today, this iconic dish is a cornerstone of Hungarian culinary identity, deeply rooted in the peasant traditions of utilizing every part of the animal and preserving meats through smoking.
