Sopa de frijoles frescos con carne de res (Fresh beans with beef soup)

If you don't live in El Salvador, you're probably used to buying Salvadoran red beans from the grocery store in a plastic bag, but did you know that in El Salvador it's common to use "frijoles frescos" during the harvesting season? "Frijoles frescos" translates to fresh beans and it refers to freshly harvested beans that have not gone through the drying process. Although it's the same bean, there is a slight difference in taste when you use a freshly harvested bean versus a dried bean. During this season it's very popular to make a bean soup with pork or beef ribs, however I prefer to make it with beef as the protein.

How to make sopa de frijoles frescos?

If you're lucky enough to go to El Salvador during the bean harvesting season, make sure you buy some and bring them back home! I went to El Salvador last week and brought about 5lbs back so today we are making sopa de frijoles con carne de res. Some things to know about fresh beans:

• Store them in a breathable container in the fridge. If you traveled with them, take them out of the bag as soon as possible or they will get slimy and go bad. I stored them in an open glass container and placed them in the fridge.

• Freeze the beans you won't use within the next 5 days in a airtight container, preferably use a suction vacuum seal.

• Fresh beans don't need to be soaked and they take less time to cook.

Ingredients:

• 5 cups of fresh/new beans or about 1-2 lbs. If you don't have access to fresh/new beans you can use store bought dried beans, but soak them in water for at least an hour.

• 3 lbs bone-in beef. I prefer to use shanks or a beef stew cut packet but you can use any cut with bone-in. You can also use pork.

• 1 white onion

• 1 garlic head

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 roma tomatos diced

• 1/2 green or red sweet/bell pepper diced

• 1 tsp fresh garlic paste: If you don't have paste you can make it by processing 1-3 garlic cloves

• 1/2 of a cilantro bunch

• 1 tbsp of sofrito paste (Optional). I make my own puertorican style sofrito, if you don't have any you don't have to add it.

• Salt to taste

• Pepper to taste

• 2 culantro/recao leaves

• Beef buillon (Optional): A lot of people add this but I only add this if I think the soup needs it.

• 3-4 lt of Water

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Vegetables of preference: I used 1 russet potato, 1 zuchini and 3 carrots, but you can add squash, güisquil, etc.

Instructions:

1. Wash your beef with water, vinegar and salt. You don't have to do this but I prefer to do it.

2. Fill up the pot with about 3 liters of water and place it on medium heat.

3. Once the water is simmering add in the beef, half of the white onion, garclic head and the bay leaves. Cover the pot and let it cook on medium heat until the beef is halfway tender. This will take about 30 mins.

4. While the beef is cooking we are going to stir fry our vegetables. Dice the other 1/2 of the white onion, the 2 tomatoes, the peppers and the cilantro. Make the garlic paste if you don't have any on hand.

5. In a small sauce pan or frying pan at medium heat add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Once the oil is hot add in the sofrito, dice onions, diced tomato, dice peppers, garlic paste and 1/2 of the chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper and mix everything well, cover the pan and let it cook for 3-5 minutes or until all the vegetable shave reduced. Turn off the heat and set it to the side.

6. Once the beef is halfway, wash the beans and add them to the pot. Conver the pot and let it cook for another 30 minutes until the beans and meat are tender.

7. Prep the veggies you want to add to the soup and cut them into a medium dice.

8. Once the beans and meat are to the desired tenderness add in the sautéed vegetables, fresh vegetables, culantro leafs and the rest of the chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if you want to add beef buillon this is the time to add it. Taste test and adjust as needed. Cover the pot and let it come to a boil, it will take about 10 more minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool.

This soup is delicious and full of nutrition, I enjoy serving it with white rice, chirimol and a slice of Salvadoran hard cheese. Whatever way you want to enjoy your soup, I hope you love it! For more recieps chech out @FLOURISHWITHG on Instagram and TikTok.