Rustic Green Bean Soup {Mahuna}
A old-fashioned and versatile green bean soup full of flavor and seasonal vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, onions, and carrots. This soup is called mahuna in Croatia, where it is a hearty and healthy busy day soup that can be quickly prepared with either garden fresh or frozen and canned ingredients.
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Green Bean Soup or Mahuna
In Croatia, this green bean soup is called mahuna and it is a fast and easy soup recipe that makes for a great lunch served with bread on the side, or serve it as a starter for a more substantial dinner.
- A great ‘busy day soup’ that is still healthy, tasty, and satisfying.
- Ready in about 45 minutes including prep.
- Can use fresh vegetables or canned and/or frozen.
- Versatile: you can add other vegetables as you prefer. You can also make this with water, vegetable stock, or meat stock.
- Naturally grain and gluten-free.
- Great way to use all those beans growing in your garden and over ripe tomatoes!
If you love this soup, try my recipe for Bosnian bean soup (grah) or my recipe for Croatian grah! And Sataras is another traditional recipe full of vegetables like peppers, onions, and tomatoes.
Equipment
- A soup or stock pot
Ingredients
Simple ingredients make this green bean soup an easy meal. See notes for substitutions.
- Green beans | washed, with the tip removed. Any color of green bean can be used and you can use fresh, frozen, or canned beans. Flat Romano beans are a popular variety to use for this soup in the Balkans — if you can find them.
- Onions | diced.
- Tomatoes | canned tomatoes or very ripe fresh ones work best. You can also add smoked tomatoes for an interesting flavor.
- Potatoes | small diced.
- Carrots | roughly chopped.
- Garlic | Fresh garlic, minced.
- Water | You can make this oup even healthier and more flavorful by adding stock like chicken feet bone broth or your favorite meat or veggie stock.
- Olive Oil | You can also use ghee, lard, tallow, or whatever fat or oil you prefer.
- Paprika | I usually use sweet paprika, but hot or smoked is also delicious.
- Salt & Pepper | to taste, I like lots of freshly ground black pepper in mine.
- Flour (Optional) | make an optional roux for an additional depth of flavor (instructions in recipe card for regular and gluten-free roux).
- Vegeta (Optional) | Croatian will add a teaspoon of Vegeta to recipes like this, but it is optiona.
❁ You’ll find the exact amount of each ingredient below in the recipe card. Make sure to select ‘cook mode’ to keep your screen from turning off as you make it. You can also print the recipe.
Instructions (Step-By-Step)
Step 1: Prep and wash all of your ingredients. Chop and dice the onions and carrots. Mince the garlic. Remove the pointy end from one side of the green bean.
Step 2: Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and add onions, saute until light golden brown.
Add garlic and paprika, cook 1 more minute until fragrant, stirring the entire time.
Step 3: Add water or stock, tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, and carrots.
Bring to a boil and then immidiately bring heat down to a simmer.
Season with salt and pepper. Partially cover pot and simmer for 30 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.
Step 4 (Optional): make a roux with either all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour and your fat of choice: olive oil, butter, lard, tallow, or leftover bacon grease.
Add this to soup after it is finished and simmer for a few more minutes.
Instructions are detailed in the recipe card notes.
Hint: Feel free to add cooked bacon or sausage into this green bean soup to make it even more filling and satisfying. Ground pork or beef is also a delicious addition. I like to sometimes serve this soup with grated parmesan on top.
Storage, Freezing & Reheating
Green bean soup will stay fresh for up to 5 days, covered, in the refrigerator. It tstes even better if allowed to sit for a few hours, or the next day.
To reheat broth: ladle your desired portion into a pot and heat it on medium-low until it reaches the desired temperature.
To freeze broth: lt the soup cool down a bit first.
Ladle mahuna into plastic freezer-safe heavy-duty bags, silicone bags, or silicone souper cube trays (my favorite, they’re amazing). If using plastic, let the soup come down to room temperature first.
Soups and stews can be popped out of the Souper Cubes once frozen and stacked neatly in your freezer for better organization.
FAQ
The flavor of green beans is enhanced by other vegetables like tomatoes, garlic, onions and green onions, olive oil, and potatoes. Additions like balsamic or red wine vinegar, chili sauce, bacon, and cheese like Asiago and Parmesan.
A green bean soup is easily thickened by adding a light to medium roux towards the end of cooking. This also enhances the flavor of the soup. All-purpose or gluten-free flours work well to make a roux. Cornstarch can also be used.
Related
Looking for other recipes like mahuna? Try my other soup and stew recipes:
More Croatian Recipes
- White Bean & Smoked Pork Stew {Croatian Grah i Varivah}
- Blitva | Croatian Chard & Potato Side Dish
- Sataraš {Croatian Stewed Tomato & Pepper Side Dish}
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Green Beans washed and one end trimmed.
- 2 Large Carrots peeled and roughly chopped.
- 1 Large Onion small diced
- 2 Large Potatoes peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces.
- 5 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Can Whole or Diced Tomatoes or 4-5 large, very ripe fresh tomatoes
- 1.5 Quarts Water or bone broth
Instructions
- Prep and wash all of your ingredients. Chop and dice the onions and carrots. Mince the garlic. Remove the pointy end from the one side of the green bean.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and add onions, saute until light golden brown.
- Add garlic and paprika, cook 1 more minute until fragrant, stirring the entire time.
- Add the tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, and carrots. Add enough water or stock to cover the ingredients by an inch or so. You may need more or less water or stock.
- Bring to a boil and then immediately bring the heat down to a simmer.
- Season with a salt and pepper and Vegeta if using. Partially cover pot and simmer for 30 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.
- Uncover pot and taste for seasoning, adjust salt if required.
- If making a roux, start it 15 minutes into the cooking time:
- Add 3 tablespoons of fat and 3 tablespoons of flour to a small pot or pan on medium-low heat, and constantly stir the fat and flour until it turns a medium golden blonde color.Do not let the flour burn, or you will have to make the roux again.Add the roux into the soup slowly, stirring gently the entire time — be careful that it does not splatter or splash back on you. Continue simmering soup for another 5 minutes.
