This pork bean soup infused with cumin is the perfect winter warmer on those rainy days.
This soup is full of nutrition and flavour. Ingredients like onions, carrots and garlic are used as the basis of the soup and bring a freshness to the taste. The added herbs and spices are truly what makes all the flavours pop and work well together. The paprika and cumin really bring a rich flavour to the soup and taste wonderful with the fresh lemon as garnish. If you are not a fan of spiciness, feel free to leave the dried chillies as garnish.
For the pork, feel free to either use pork chops or the shoulder cut. The shoulder cut might be tougher than the pork chop, however, as it simmers with the rest of the ingredients it will get more and more tender.
All about the beans
For this recipe we will be adding dried red beans, that has been soaked overnight. Soaking beans can cut the cooking time by up to 70%. To soak the beans, cover them with water and add salt. Let them soak for at least 4 hours or, preferably, for 12 hours. The longer the beans soak, the more moisture will build up. This will help the beans to cook evenly without splitting open and losing any nutritional content. When you are ready to add them to your soup, drain and rinse the beans.
Not only do beans bring a certain taste and texture to a dish, but it is also good for you. Red beans are a great source of iron and potassium and can be an excellent source of protein.
Enjoy this hearty pork bean soup with freshly baked bread and you’re all set for dinner.
Ingredients
- 750 g Pork chops, diced or shoulder blades It is a highly versatile cut, It can be diced or kept on the bone or deboned and trimmed
- 60 ml olive oil extra virgin
- 2 onions chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 115 g tomato paste
- 1 kg dried red beans soaked overnight
- 10 ml paprika
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 2 tsp dried cumin
- salt to taste
- Fresh Lemons Dried Chillies for garnishing.
Instructions
- Place a heavy based pot or the pressure cooker on medium heat, add 1/2 of the oil and fry the pork pieces until golden brown.
- Remove the meat and set aside, then add the remaining oil and saute the onions and carrots in the same pot over medium heat until soft and glossy.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin, paprika and the tomato paste, fry for an extra 5 minutes, add the soaked beans and fried meat, fill the pot with water 3/4 full.
- Cover with a lid and bring to the boil, Season to taste and simmer for about 1 to 2 hours or until the beans are soft.
Method using a Pressure Cooker:
- Season soup with salt and ground black pepper.
- Lock the pressure cooker lid in place and turn the steam vent handle to Sealing, cook for 12 to 20 minutes on High pressure.
- Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then turn the steam vent handle to Venting to quick-release remaining pressure .
