Romanian Green Bean Soup

I've seen news articles and lots of threads about food bloggers and how they write. The particular topic right now that seems to be of much debate is should food bloggers include lengthy posts with their recipes? I understand the frustration of scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling to get what you are really after, the recipe. Some recipes are buried pretty deep. However, I feel like stories and explanations help the reader get to know the author. You get a chance to learn where they are from, why they cook the way they do, and gain an appreciation for the blogger behind the recipe.

Once such blog I have gained an appreciation for is The Bossy Kitchen. There are quite a few recipes on my list to try, but what really stood out out me were the Romanian ones. Like this one for Transylvanian Bacon Green Bean Soup. I've learned to love vinegar in my soup and anything with bacon and garlic usually has me interested.

Add more or less green beans, however many you want. I wanted a chunkier soup so I added the extra bag.

1 - 2 lb bag green and wax beans mixed
1 lb bacon
1 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
8 c. chicken or vegetable broth (or water plus bouillon)
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1 red onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 sprig fresh thyme
Pepper to taste
1/2 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

Sour cream to serve

Slice the raw bacon and add it all at once to a large soup pot. Cook, stirring, until the bacon is crisp and golden. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the flour to the pan and cook, stirring. Add the paprika and cook about 2 - 3 minutes to remove the flour taste. 

Add the tomato paste and the vinegar. Cook over fairly high heat until the vinegar has caramelized a little. You can usually tel this by the smell, it will be sharp at first. Once that goes away it time to add the broth or water. 

Add the carrots, celery, and red onion and cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Add the wax beans, green beans, sprig of thyme, garlic, and pepper to taste. Simmer until the vegetables are very tender. 

Add the fresh parsley and cook until another minute or two. Taste for salt and vinegar and serve with sour cream on top.