WHEN YOU’RE chilled to the bone and need comfort fast, chef Loryn Nalic has one word for you: grah. She first heard it at the home of her husband’s aunt. “She got up from the table and asked, ‘Do you want some grah?’ I didn’t say anything. Then she looked at me and said, ‘Bean soup!’ ” The third Slow Food Fast recipe from the chef and co-owner of Balkan Treat Box in Webster Groves, Mo., this quick version is reinforced with hunks of smoked sausage and warmed up with a generous dash of paprika.
“It isn’t the traditional version,” Ms. Nalic explained. “That takes time: You have to soak the beans, then make a roux.” She starts with a kind of quick roux of tomato paste, paprika and flour that thickens as the soup cooks, and she uses canned beans. “This version is what I make when we’re busy and need to feed the kids in a pinch,” she said. “It’s nourishing and satisfying. It sticks to your ribs and warms you up. With yogurt, a cabbage salad and bread, it’s perfect.”
Even with the shortcuts taken here, Ms. Nalic affirmed, the recipe conforms to the basic contours of that soup she had years ago. The browned flour gives the vegetable base a rich flavor and creamy texture. Ladle the warm soup into bowls and finish with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of parsley, if you like. On the table in a half-hour, this streamlined soup has flavor so deep you’d think it simmered for hours.
To explore and search through all our recipes, check out the new WSJ Recipes page.
