Old-fashioned Bean Soup

Potjie No: 3 or 4
Serves: 6
Cooking Time: 1.5 hours
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Ingredients

1 kg dried beans (kidney, haricot or sugar beans)
1 pickled and smoked pork shank
3 litres meat stock
2 large onions, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
1 stalk leafy celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme or 5 ml dried
10 ml salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
15 ml vinegar or lemon juice
250 g bacon, rinds removed and coarsely chopped
30 ml chopped fresh parsley or 10 ml dried

Method

• Soak beans overnight in enough water to cover.
• Place pork shank and drained beans in potjie and add enough stock to cover.
• Bring to the boil, frequently skimming off foam, and simmer until the beans and meat are almost tender.
• Add vegetables, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper and simmer for another 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
• Add vinegar or lemon juice and season soup with more salt and pepper if necessary.
• Fry bacon until crisp in separate small potjie.
• Serve soup in suitable deep bowls and sprinkle with a little parsley and bacon.