Authentic Bosnian Grah Recipe {Bean Soup} (2024)

Authentic Bosnian Grah Recipe {Bean Soup}

This traditional and popular Bosnian peasant soup includes beans, vegetables, and smoked beef.

• 1.5 lbs Dried Beans dried borlotti beans or any dried white beans you have. You can also try peruano beans, navy beans, cannellini beans, or great northern beans.
• 1 Quart Water or more, as needed.
• 3 Smoked Beef Sausages sliced thinly on an angle. You can also use smoked dry beef. Popular cuts for grah are ribs and necks.
• 4 Cloves Fresh Garlic minced
• 1 Large Onion diced
• 2 Medium Carrots diced
• 2 Ribs Celery diced
• 2 Small Parsnips diced
• 1 Large Green Bell Pepper diced
• 2 Large Potatoes small diced
• 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt plus more or less to taste
• ½ Teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Sweet Paprika
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
• 2 Tablespoons Beef Tallow or other fat/oil of choice, plus more as needed.

• To prepare dried beans, soak them in salted water for approximately 8 hours. Avoid over-soaking, as it can negatively impact the texture.

• Plan your cooking accordingly and start your grah the evening before. Cover beans with water in a large bowl, and stir in a tablespoon of salt.

• Plan your cooking accordingly and start your grah the evening before. Cover beans with water in a large bowl, and stir in a tablespoon of salt.

• Turn the heat to high and let the water come to a boil. Lower heat and simmer beans for 5 minutes.

• Drain beans, discard the water, and run them under cool water. Set aside.

• Prep all of your ingredients: Get the vegetables washed, diced, and chopped.

• Into a large, heavy-bottomed pot with some hot melted fat, add the onion, celery, green pepper, and carrots.

• Cook the vegetables until the onions become translucent and light golden and everything softens.

• As the vegetables cook, allow them to brown without burning and add more fat or water if they begin to stick. Scrape the fond from the bottom, taking care not to rush this step.

• Add the garlic and stir for a minute as the garlic becomes fragrant.

• Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute, stirring, until the paste deepens in color.

• Add the paprika and stir thoroughly.

• Add the drained beans, the potatoes, the parsnips, and cover with water so that the ingredients are fully submerged by about 2 inches.

• Add the salt, black pepper, and bay leaf.

• Turn the heat to high and allow the mixture to boil before immediately turning it down to a simmer on low.

• Partially cover the pot and let it simmer for 2 hours, checking every half hour.

• Stir occasionally and add water if it becomes too reduced.

• Add the beef sausage to the pot, partially cover, and allow to simmer for another 30 minutes.

• Make the roux about 15 minutes after adding the sausage to the pot.

• How to make a roux: Add the fat and 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 stew slowly, stirring gently the entire time — be careful that it does not splatter or splash back on you.

• Let the soup simmer on low, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes longer.

• Taste and adjust the salt to your preference.

• Serve hot with rustic sourdough bread. Grah is made for dipping and wiping bowls clean.

Substitutions & Variations

• Gluten-free | Instead of wheat flour, make a gluten-free roux using 1 cup of oil/fat or ghee and 1 cup of Bob’s Redmill Cassava Flour or other gluten-free flour.
  Smoked Pork | Croatian and Serbian grah (the Serbs call it Pasulj) is made typically with smoked dried pork. Try my recipe for Croatian grah made with lard and smoked pork ribs.
• Dried Beef | Used dried smoked beef necks, ribs, or shanks instead of sausage.
• Pašta Fažol (Pasta and Bean Soup) | A variation of grah popular in Croatia’s Dalmatian coast adds pasta (typically macaroni) into the stew alongside the beans. It is often made lighter.
• Canned Beans | Dried and soaked beans are best, but adjust the cooking time if you want to use canned beans. Canned beans don't require a longer cooking time, and you can add them after the water boils at the same time as you add the sausage.

Storage, Freezing, & Reheating

Grah tastes even better when eaten as leftovers the next day. To store it, cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When reheating, add the desired amount to a pot and heat it on low. If the grah has thickened too much while refrigerated, add some water to achieve the desired consistency.

You can freeze grah for 3 months, and this is a great freezer meal.

Hint: If you're looking for an even MORE budget-friendly version of Grah, try the version that uses only fat-flour roux and has no meat. This is the grah that the peasants made during the most challenging times. To get the maximum flavor out of this version, make a deep brown roux, which may take about 20 minutes in total.