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Hungarian Apple Cake – Almás Pite

Creamy yellow wax beans, Zöldbabfőzelék

Creamy yellow wax bean stew is a wonderful summer meal made with freshly picked yellow wax beans, a good portion of sour cream, minced garlic and a pinch of paprika powder. It goes so well either by itself or as a side with fried eggs or sausages of frankfurter. It is a thick soup (vegetable stew or pottage), called “főzelék”. This is a delicious summer dish, quick and easy recipe to make, done in 30 minutes. It can be served at room temperature, warmed, or my favorite — cold. You can make it vegan and gluten free, just use vegetable cream instead of sour cream and gluten free (brown rice) flour.

What is “főzelék”?

Főzelék is a special category in Hungarian cuisine, is a type of thick Hungarian vegetable stew or soup, similar to pottage. It is not quite like a soup, and thinner than a stew. It is simply cooked, typically by simmering, not mashing.Főzelék is often eaten as the main course for lunch or like a garnish for different meat courses. Főzelék was typically a home-made food, and was considered as an ordinary type of meal so traditionally it seldom appeared on restaurant menus but in recent years, as part of the culinary revolution in Hungary, főzelék enjoys a revival and it is much more common to be found on menus, there are even places dedicated to offering various főzelék as main course. Főzelék is often eaten as the main course for lunch or like a garnish for different meat courses.

How to thicken it?

There are 2 options to thicken a vegetable stew.
1. Make a roux. Roux is a classic thickening agent for soups and sauces.Roux takes just a few minutes to make, a mixture of equal part of fat (oil, lard, butter) and flour.It is made by stirring the flour into the melted fat and then tasting it for a few minutes so that the floury taste cooks off.
For this dish and do not like to make roux as a thickener. I prefer the 2. option.

2. Mix four and sour cream, whisk it until smooth, temper and add it the the water that you cook the vegetables in.

What kind of flour to use?

I use all purpose flour, you can use any gluten free flour as well, but you have to experience how much to add to thicken the dish perfectly.
Also, if using all purpose flour, you have to know: the differences in American/Canadien and European wheat come down to the amount of gluten and selenium in each.You may need to use more or less flour than the recipe says for the right consistancy. I’m sorry to say this, but you have to experience to make the dish with your local ingredients.

Creamy yellow wax beans, Zöldbabfőzelék

Creamy Yellow Wax Beans - Zöldbabfőzelék

This is a wonderful summer meal made with freshly picked yellow wax beans, a good portion of sour cream, minced garlic and a pinch of paprika powder. It goes so well either by itself or as a side with fried eggs or sausages of frankfurter. It is a thick soup (vegetable stew or pottage), called "főzelék". This is a delicious summer dish, quick and easy recipe to make, done in 30 minutes. It can be served at room temperature, warmed, or my favorite — cold. You can make it vegan and gluten free, just use vegetable cream instead of sour cream and gluten free (brown rice) flour.
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Hungarian
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • pairing knife
  • Cutting board
  • Soup pot
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Ladle
  • Whisk

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 kg yellow wax beans
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 3 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
  • 1 clove garlic medium, minced
  • salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • Remove the beans' ends and cut them into 3-4 cm (1,5 inch) long pieces.
  • Cook the beans in 3,4-5 cups pf salted water until beans are tender.
    Wax beans
  • In a bowl whisk together the sour cream, the paprika powder, the minced garlic and the flour.
    Sour cream, flour, thicken
  • Slowly begin to add spoonfuls of the water of the beans to the sour cream-flour mixture, stirring until smooth. When the it is possible to pour, add it to the beans, stirring constantly, to avoid clumping. (You cannot add the sour cream-flour mixture directly to the hot liquid, as it will cause it to curdle. You need to temper the sour cream first.)
    Yellow wax bean stew
  • Bring it to a boil, it will thicken up. When it starts boiling then turn the heat off otherwise the sour cream curdles. Salt to taste.
    Enjoy!
Creamy yellow wax beans, Zöldbabfőzelék
Keyword vegan, vegetable stew, vegetarian, wax beans, yellow wax beans