White Bean Soup with Pumpkin Pastry

This meal, better known in German ‘circles’ as  Weisse Bohnensuppe & Plachinda.  Kind of an unusual pairing of sorts  —  bean soup with a sweet pumpkin pastry?? It is one of those meals my mother used to make that got pushed into the back of my memory. With pumpkin season approaching and the weather feeling like fall, hearty soups start to come to mind.

Once again I set out to bring back the ‘taste of a memory’. Of course, this usually starts with some discussion about the meal with my sister Loretta. Between the two of us we can usually remember enough so I can attempt to recreate the taste.

It seems most recipes you find on the internet make plachinda as individual turnovers. I think I recall my mother making it in a rectangle casserole dish with the pastry on the bottom and up the sides and the filling showing. I decided to make it as a ‘jelly roll’.

Here’s my ‘spin’ on this much loved meal. Good but as usual never quite as wonderful as my mother’s. 

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White Bean Soup with Pumpkin Pastry

A full-bodied soup with a rich appetizing flavor served with a German pumpkin pastry.

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Rating: 5
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Course

Lunch, Main Dish

Cuisine

German

Servings

MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

White Bean Soup

• 454 grams navy beans
• 12 cups water
• 1 ham bone with enough meat to give 2 1/2 cups cubed ham for soup (375 grams)
• 2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cups celery with tops, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup beef broth bouillon powder
• 1/4 cup chicken bouillon powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 6 cups hot water

Pumpkin Plachinda Filling

• 2 cups pureed pumpkin
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp EACH ginger & nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp salt

Plachinda Pastry Dough

• 2 2/3 cups flour
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup veg oil

Course Lunch, Main Dish Cuisine German Servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients White Bean Soup 454 grams navy beans 12 cups water 1 ham bone with enough meat to give 2 1/2 cups cubed ham for soup (375 grams) 2 Tbsp parsley, chopped 1 cup onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 2 cups celery with tops, finely chopped 1/4 cup beef broth bouillon powder 1/4 cup chicken bouillon powder 1/2 tsp pepper 6 cups hot water Pumpkin Plachinda Filling 2 cups pureed pumpkin 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp EACH ginger & nutmeg 1/8 tsp salt Plachinda Pastry Dough 2 2/3 cups flour 3 Tbsp sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 2 eggs 2/3 cup milk 1/3 cup veg oil

Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

White Bean Soup

1. Cover beans with water in a large stock pot & soak overnight. Rinse & drain beans well; return to pot with ham bone & 12 cups water. Simmer uncovered for 2 hours.
2. Add parsley, onions, garlic, celery with tops, salt & pepper as well as the extra 6 cups of hot water. Simmer, uncovered for 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. Remove ham bone, dice the meat & add to soup. Serve with pumpkin plachinda.

Pumpkin Plachinda

1. In a small bowl, combine filling ingredients; set aside. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan (or line with parchment paper).
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. Whisk together eggs, milk & oil; add dry ingredients, working into a soft, stiff dough. Turn onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Roll dough into a 14 x 14-inch square; spread pumpkin filling down the center & half way out to the sides -- about 1/4 -inch thick.
3. Fold outside third of the dough over filling, repeating with the last third; pinch to seal. Leaving plachinda on paper, transfer to a baking sheet. If preferred, individual turnovers can be made instead. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Slice & serve warm.