Bakonyi Mushroom and Bean Ragout | Hearty Autumn One-Pot Meal

Cut the Kolozsvári bacon into thin strips or small cubes. Clean and slice the brown button mushrooms, finely chop the onion, and mince the garlic. Finely dice the TV pepper and tomato. Drain the canned white beans and rinse thoroughly with cold water.

In a deep frying pan or pot, start rendering the sliced Kolozsvári bacon in the lard. Once nice golden-brown cracklings form and the fat has melted, add the finely chopped onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent. Stir in the chopped TV pepper, tomato, and minced garlic, then sauté together for another 2 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat, sprinkle with the fragrant sweet paprika, then immediately pour in the vegetable stock so the paprika does not burn. Return to the heat, add the bay leaves, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the sliced brown button mushrooms, cover with a lid, and simmer gently for 10 minutes until the mushrooms soften and release a rich sauce.