PORK & BEAN SOUP
Description
With autumn firmly here, a potful of deliciousness is called for to provide warmth & comfort.
This is a such a favourite in our house. I use a classic base of finely diced carrots, onion and celery, a tin of cannellini beans and a diced potato. Season with garlic, herbs of your choice, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Bump up the flavour with a stock cube and thicken with a little flour. Add small pieces of pork shoulder and by the time they are cooked tender, the flavours have melted into each other.
Dont be put off by the number of ingredients, they all go in pretty quickly and then you wait for the flavours to marry.
Enjoy with the focaccia bread I baked for it yesterday - recipe for that also on my website
Options - if you want to keep it veggie, omit the pork and add sauteed shitake mushrooms instead, or pieces of quorn.
You can half blend this soup too, for a slightly different texture and mix the two together.
Add more veg - courgette chunks work well as do broad beans
Pro tip - speed up the process by cooking it in a pressure cooker for 10 mins and letting it rest. But only if you are using pork, not the veggie version.
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Heat the oil in a deep pan (or use a pressure cooker)
Add the celery, onion, carrots, potato, garlic and bay leaves. Sautee for 7/8 mins until its all softened
Add the pork steak (or mushroom/quorn) and mix further, browning it all lightly.
Add the beans straight from the tin, along with the tomato paste, chilli sauce, worcestershire sauce and the stock.
Cover, bring to boil, lower heat and let it simmer for 30 mins or so, till pork pieces are tender.
You can speed up the process by using a pressure cooker - 10 mins, then letting it rest.
Add the flour paste whisking it in so as not to get lumps.
Season with salt and pepper.
The flavours deepen the next day, but by all means, eat it the same day if you cant wait! just let it rest 10 mins.
Serve with grated parmesan, chopped parsley and do check out the lovely focaccia bread recipe to accompany it.
Enjoy!
