Bouneschlupp (Green bean and ham soup) (Luxembourgian)

I went to Luxembourg sometime during last fall (taking along the husband and a good friend) for an anthropology workshop and I was charmed with this lovely city. The medieval background is something I'm most sensitive to when it comes to falling in love with a place, and Luxembourg has plenty of that :).

I decided to present here something from their local cuisine, which is a rich blend of the cultures intermingled in the area and then a little more :). What you see above is one of the staples of Luxembourgian cuisine, the Bouneschlupp, a green bean and ham creamy soup. Not too complicated to make, hearty and with a charming day-to-day pub feel to it.

If you ever have to occasion to delve in Luxembourg, take it. If you're any little bit like me, you'll love it. :)
I particularly liked the Adolphe Bridge in the center of the town (pictured below), the historical tour with the tram (where we could hear Melusina's voice explaining the surroundings to us), and the complex system of walls and fortifications.

Last year: Crispy pizza crust (vegan).
Two years ago: Pickled red onions and Linguine alla matriciana with zucchini.





Ingredients (serves 4):

• 500 g fresh green beans
• 2 medium potatoes
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or goose fat)
• 50 g bacon, diced or cubed
• 1,5 liters water or vegetable stock
• 1 carrot
• 1 small yellow onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 100 g creme fraiche
• salt and pepper to taste
• some German-style plain sausage to serve (like frankfurters) (optional)

Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the diced bacon and fry it:

Add the diced onion and carrot and the sliced garlic:

Fry them until softened, for another 5 minutes or so. Peel the potatoes and cube them. Clean the green beans. Add them to the soup pot as well:

Mix everything add the soup stock or water. Let the whole thing cook on low-medium heat for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are completely tender. When the soup is done, season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from the heat. Gently stir in the cream.
While the soup cools, fry the sliced sausages to your liking.

Transfer the soup to serving bowls and top with a few sausage slices. It's done, dig in! :)