Maneštra (Istarska maneštra)
Overview
Maneštra is a thick bean and vegetable soup from Istria, the peninsula in north-western Croatia. Dried borlotti beans are cooked slowly with a piece of smoked pork ribs or pancetta, then joined by diced potato, carrot, celery and plenty of sweetcorn, which is the signature of the Istrian version. Some cooks add pasta or barley, and in spring wild asparagus or fennel. It is finished with a mix called pešt, made from lard or olive oil, garlic and parsley, and a drizzle of local olive oil. The soup is hearty enough to be a full meal with bread.
History
The name comes from the Italian minestra, a reminder of Istria's long history under Venice and Italy. Maneštra was the everyday food of farming families, cooked in a large pot over the open hearth called ognjište. Every village has its own recipe, and the Istrian corn version is now one of the best-known dishes served in rural taverns, known as konobas, across the region.
Main ingredients
Borlotti beans, sweetcorn, potato, carrot, smoked pork, olive oil. The soup is built on water and smoked pork stock and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; usually gluten-free.
Explore: Bean soups · Pork soups · Potato soups
Recipe
Method
- 160 min
Simmer the beans and smoked pork with the bay leaves in 2 l water for 60 minutes.
- 225 min
Add the potato, carrot, celery and sweetcorn and cook for 25 minutes.
- 3
Fry the garlic and parsley briefly in the olive oil and stir into the soup.
- 4
Mash a few of the beans to thicken, season and serve with bread.
- ✓
Serve. About 1h 50m from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
