Serbian Bean soup ('Pasulj')

This is one of favourite winter dishes in Balkan countries. I'm presenting Serbian recipe, although in many surrounding countries it's made in a similar way. Every family has their own recipe, which is never written, because they use what is available at moment and /or according to personal taste.

Ingredients:
2-3 tbs lard (or oil)
2 medium onions, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finelly chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 parsnip, chopped (or celery stalk)
2 tbs paprika
1-2 capsicums (or large chilies), whole or chopped (optional)
smoked hook / sausages / streaky bacon (anything available, but smoked)
250-300 g dried beans (Borlotti),  (soaked overnight)
salt and pepper
2 bay leaves
1-2 tbs vegetable, beef or chicken stock
parsley leaves
Chili powder or hot paprika, if you like it spicy
(I always add 1-2 tsp cumin - not used traditionally)
Water (1,5-2 L)
Method:
If you didn't soak beans overnight, cook it for 30 minutes with a tsp of soda  in plenty of water. Throw the water  after cooking.
Heat lard in a large sauce pan, sautee onion, add other fresh vegetables and smoked meat (sausages). Cook for 5-6 minutes. Add paprika, beans, spices and water. Mix well and cover. Cook for 1-1,5 hours (or longer if beans hard). Check the taste, add salt and pepper and sprinkle with parsley leaves. Serve with crusty bread and sliced raw onion  (or other salad).

Srbijanski Pasulj 

Pasulj (grah / fažol / bob) je jedan od zimskih favorita na trpezama u Balkanskim zemljama. Navodim Srbijanski recept, mada se slicno priprema i u okolnim zemljama. Svaka porodica ima svoj recept, koji se nikada ne zapisuje, jer se obicno koristi ono sto je pristupacno u datom trenutku ili prema osobnom ukusu.

Potrebno:
2-3 K masti ili ulja
2 crvena luka, sjeckana
2-3 cena bijelog luka, sitno sjeckana
2 mrkve, sjeckane
1 korijen persuna, sjeckan (ili stabljika celera)
2 K paprike u prahu
1-2 paprike, svjeze, sjecene ili cijele ('Roge' su najbolje)
dimljene potkoljenice, kobasice ili slanina, sta god je pristupacno
250-300 gr graha/pasulja/fazola 'Šarenca' (potopljen u vodu prethodnog dana)
so i biber
2 lovorova lista
2 K Vegete ili gotov  govedji/pileci/povrtni bujon 
lisce persuna
ljuta paprika ili chili, ako volite ljuto
(Ja obavezno dodam 1-2 k kima - sto nije uobicajeno u tradicionalnim receptima)
1,5-2 L vode 
Nacin:
Ako grah niste namocili prethodnog dan, kuhajte ga u dosta vode sa 1 k sode bb oko 30 minuta. Bacite vodu.
Zagrijte mast u vecoj serpi / loncu, proprzite luk, pa dodajte ostalo povrce, dimljeno meso (kobasice...)Dinstajte oko 5-6 minuta, zatim ubacite papriku, grah, zacine i vodu. Promijesajte i poklopite. Kuhajte 1-1,5 sata (ili duze ako je grah jos tvrd). Provjerite ukus, dodajte so i biber, pa pospite liscem persuna. Servirajte sa dobrim kruhom / hljebom i reznjevima crvenog luka (ili drugom salatom).