JK Splash

Hearty Bacon and Veg Soup

Posted by Unknown on Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The only thing I like about Melbourne winter is home made soup, otherwise the whole season is pointless and a major inconvenience! This basic soup recipe is definitely a staple meal for me during winter, it's easy, healthy, cheap and prep is relatively quick and painless(especially if you have a collection of knives you enjoy using!). The qty here is what I generally make up in one batch and will last me about a weeks worth of work lunches! This soup actually improves after a couple of days in the fridge, if you are storing it any longer than 3 days I would freeze it. It thaws and reheats well.

Ingredients:
  • 2 x tblsp Olive Oil
  • 1 x smoked bacon hock*
  • 1 x smoked bacon bone*
  • ½ packet of Italian soup mix
  • 1 liter of beef or chicken stock(home made is best!)
  • 1 x 400g can of diced tomatoes
  • 2 x carrots (peeled & coarsely diced)
  • 1 x parsnip (peeled & coarsely diced)
  • 1 x turnip or swede (peeled & coarsely diced)
  • 1 x brown onion (finely diced)
  • 2 x sticks of celery (chopped)
  • 1 x leak (finely sliced)
  • 4 x cloves garlic (finely chopped)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
*Smoked bacon hocks/bones are available from my local supermarket delicatessen in winter. Try to find to the proper dry cured ones, avoid the ones that are packaged/vacuum sealed if you can. The hock will provide most of the meat for the soup and the bone is more for the flavor.

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot, then add the onion and leak. Saute for a few minutes then add the garlic and continue to saute until the leak and onion gets some color.

Add the carrot, parsnip, swede and celery. Saute for another couple of minutes to sweat the vegetables, mixing it around with a wooden spoon.

Score the bacon hock with a sharp knife.(I slice the skin around the circumference about 3 times, through to the bone, this helps later when removing the meat from the bone.) Add the stock, the can of tomatoes(inc. the syrup), the Italian soup mix, the bacon hock, bacon bone and an extra 2 cups of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 2hrs.

After ~2 hrs and add salt & pepper to taste. Simmer for another 1 hr or until the meat is falling off the bone. Turn the heat off leaving the pot on the stove. Remove the bacon hock and bacon bone from the soup. Separate the skin and fat from the hock and feed to the dog, shred the meat with a fork and return it to the soup. Also remove any meat you can from the bacon bone and return it to the soup. Discard the bones.

Serve steaming hot, with crusty buttered bread!

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