RICET (CROATIAN BEAn & BARLEY SOUP)
Submitted by: Noreen Prokuski
Who passed this recipe down to you? Grandma (Dudek) Budimir Immigrated from Kosute Yugoslavia (now Croatia) in 1920
Recipe origin: Košute, Croatia
How old is this recipe? Over 100 years old
The story behind the recipe:
My Grandmother took her older Sister's place when her Sister decided at the last minute NOT to immigrate to Chicago in 1920 (she was 20 years old). Her older Brother met her at the train station in Chicago with 3 young Yugoslavian men in tow. He told her he could not afford to take her in for long, so she must decide which one of the three men she wanted to marry and SOON! She picked my Grandfather because he was plump (a sign of a good husband and provider) because she liked to eat! She made soup every time we visited (monthly) and would alternate it with Chicken Noodle and Spinach Soup.
Ingredients:
1 pound of smoked meat. She used smoked ribs, but you can use a Ham bone, smoky sausage or smoked butt
1 1/2 cups pearled barley
2 carrots sliced
1 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 celery stalks sliced
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
1 can of dark red kidney beans
3 medium potatoes peeled and diced
Salt and Pepper( careful with the salt, the smoked meat has already added some)
How to make it:
Rinse, then soak the barley in water for about 1 hour.
Drain the barley, then add it to a large soup pot with the smoked meat. Cover all with cold water, and bring to a boil.
Then drain the water out, and cover the barley and meat with fresh cold water (this will soften the smoked meat flavor so it does not overpower the soup). Simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
Add the all the rest of the vegetables and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Remember, barley swells up a lot while simmering, and will swell even more in the Fridge when cool. So feel free to add water to keep it soup-like, or eat it thick like a stew.