Cumin soup is a traditional dish from Transylvania. The cuisine of this region combines the best features of Romanian and Hungarian cooking. Although the process of preparing the soup may seem complicated, the dish is very quick to make and absolutely delicious. The recipe was sent by Andrei Pop from the Fundația pentru Dezvoltarea Societății Civile.

Recipe for six

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion
• 2 large carrots
• 1/4 celery root
• 5 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 60 g cumin seed
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• salt and pepper
• croutons

Preparation:

1. Dice the onion, carrot and celery root and put it in pot with about 1 1/2 litre water. Season with salt and black pepper. Cook over low heat.
2. Toast the cumin seeds in a medium-sized pan, stirring regularly to prevent them from burning. After about 10 minutes, when you hear the first crackling of the seeds and the smell of cumin, add 1 1/2 cups of warm water. Cook over low heat for another 10 minutes. Pour the cumin stock into the pot with the vegetables through a fine sieve.
3. Reheat the pan and toast the flour for two minutes. Add the oil, salt, pepper and paprika. Fry everything for another two minutes. Add half a cup of cold water, stir, then add the cream. Now slowly pour two cups of soup into the pan and stir until the liquid reaches the consistency of a sauce. Pour the sauce back into the soup through a sieve.
4. Serve with croutons, preferably homemade: cut the bread into cubes, then fry in olive oil until golden and slightly crispy.