Istarska Maneštra (Istrian Bean and Corn Soup)
Local name: Istarska maneštra
In short: A thick Istrian soup of beans, sweet corn and potatoes simmered with smoked bacon and garlic, an everyday meal from the Istrian peninsula. It takes about 1 h 55 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 h 35 min
- Resting
- 8 h
- Total
- 1 h 55 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 380 kcal
Maneštra is the bean soup of Istria, the heart-shaped peninsula in the northwest of Croatia, and nearly every village has its own version. This one pairs borlotti beans with sweet corn kernels and potatoes, flavored with smoked bacon, garlic and a spoonful of tomato paste. It is thick enough to eat with a fork on day two, which is when many cooks say it tastes best.
Instructions
- Put the soaked beans in a large heavy pot with the water and bay leaves. Bring to a rolling boil and boil hard for 10 minutes, skimming off any foam. Then cover and simmer for 40 minutes, until the beans are almost tender.
- While the beans cook, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the bacon for 5 minutes until the fat renders, then add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 8 minutes, until soft and lightly golden.
- Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Scrape the whole mixture into the bean pot.
- Add the potatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer, partly covered, for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the beans are creamy.
- Stir in the corn and cook for 8 minutes more. Crush a ladleful of beans and potatoes against the side of the pot and stir it back in to thicken the soup.
- Remove the bay leaves, stir in half the parsley and taste for salt. Rest off the heat for 10 minutes.
- Ladle into warm bowls, scatter with the remaining parsley and finish each bowl with a thread of olive oil.
Tips
- Thicken the soup by crushing some of the beans and potatoes into the broth rather than using flour. It gives a creamy body and keeps the soup naturally gluten-free.
- Maneštra tastes better the next day. Cool it, refrigerate, then reheat gently with a splash of water, because it thickens as it stands.
Questions and answers
Can I use canned beans?
Yes. Use two 400 g (14 oz) cans, drained and rinsed, and skip the first simmer. Add them with the potatoes and cook for 25 minutes. Dried beans give a creamier broth, but canned beans save more than an hour.
What does maneštra mean?
Maneštra is the Istrian name for a thick vegetable soup, related to Italian minestra. Beans, potatoes, corn, sauerkraut and smoked pork are typical, and the mix changes by village and season.
Can I make maneštra vegetarian?
Yes. Leave out the bacon, cook the vegetables in 3 tbsp of olive oil and add 1 tsp of smoked paprika for a smoky depth. The soup is then vegan.
How long does it take to make Istarska Maneštra (Istrian Bean and Corn Soup)?
About 1 h 55 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 1 h 35 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Istarska Maneštra (Istrian Bean and Corn Soup)?
About 380 kcal per serving, with 15 g of protein, 46 g of carbohydrates and 14 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 380 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 15 g |
| Carbohydrates | 46 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Fiber | 10 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Sodium | 850 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
