Hungarian Green Bean and Potato Soup

Zeldaz's Note:

A Crescent Dragonwagon recipe, a delicious sweet and sour soup, don't omit a thing, as all the flavors meld into an incredible dish. Cutting the beans into very thin diagonal slices is important; if you have a food processor, stand them up in the feeding tube and use the slicing disk. Make sure your paprika is fresh for best flavor. For a much richer version, use up to a cup of creme fraiche or sour cream instead of the Yogurt. Creme fraiche will not require the cornstarch mixture as a stabilizer. I like to add a bit of Spanish smoked paprika, but it isn't necessary. A full-flavored stock is essential.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• cooking spray
• 12 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into quarter-inch slices
• 4 small potatoes, diced
• 6 cups stock, chicken or 6 cups vegetables
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1/2-1 teaspoon caraway seed
• salt, pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced (use leaves, too)
• 2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt

Directions:

1. Spray a large soup pot with cooking spray, put in it the beans, potatoes, stock, vinegar, honey, caraway seeds, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, 30 to 35 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a ten-inch skillet. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the celery, saute another 2 to 3 minutes. Lower the heat slightly, and sprinkle the vegetables with the paprika. Let the mixture cook a minute, stirring constantly. Scrape the sauteed vegetables into the soup pot. Add a little soup liquid to the skillet and deglaze it, then scrape the pan contents into the soup pot. Remove the soup pot from the heat.
3. When ready to serve, have the soup good and hot. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water and mix it to make a smooth paste, using your fingers if necessary. Stir this past into the yogurt. Whisk a ladle of the hot bean stock into the yogurt-cornstarch mixture. Turn down the heat under the soup as low as possible, and stir the cornstarch-stabilized yogurt into the very hot soup.Using a wooden spoon, stir gently until the soup has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings (including honey and vinegar), if necessary, and to be sure there is no raw cornstarch taste. Serve hot with a rustic bread.