by Beth Tolfree

This is my Apatin grandmother’s bean soup recipe which is a family favorite.

• 1 ½ cups small white beans [beans should be pre-soaked according to package directions]
• 4 cups water
• Tbs. butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• salt & pepper
• 1 sweet green pepper, finely chopped

Cook the beans in about 4 cups of water with butter till almost tender.  Add the onion, carrot, salt and pepper.  When tender, add the green pepper & cook till tender.

To thicken the soup, make a roux:
    melt 1 Tbs. Crisco in a small frying pan
    add flour (1 Tbs.+) to make a thick paste
and cook, stirring, until lightly brown then add and brown lightly:
    l clove garlic, minced
stir in:
    1 Tbs. paprika

Now, stir spoonfuls of soup broth into the roux blending well to avoid lumps…when thinned some, stir roux into the soup.
Serve this over homemade egg noodles.
(leftover noodles were fried in Crisco till crispy then topped with leftover soup)

Grandma’s Egg Noodles in the frozen food section of the supermarket are a good substitute for homemade.

Of course, it was always lard rather than Crisco in these recipes.

[Edited by Rose Mary Keller Hughes]

Last updated: 12/15/2025