Name: Czech bean soup with smoked meat
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6 portions
Ingredients: 2 tins white beans; 300 g smoked pork shoulder; 1500 ml water; 1 pc onion; 3 cloves garlic; 2 pcs carrot; 300 g potatoes; 30 g lard; 2 tablespoons plain flour; 1 teaspoon marjoram; 2 pcs bay leaves; 4 pcs allspice; salt; ground pepper

Ingredients

6portions

For the soup

2 tinswhite beans

300 gsmoked pork shoulder

1 500 mlwater(for boiling)

1 pconion

3 clovesgarlic

2 pcscarrot

300 gpotatoes

30 glard

2 tablespoonsplain flour

1 teaspoonmarjoram

2 pcsbay leaves

4 pcsallspice

salt(to taste)

ground pepper(to taste)

Step by step process

Base and smoked meat

1
Bean soup starts with the smoked meat. Cut the smoked pork shoulder into cubes, cover with water and simmer gently for about 40 minutes, until tender. The smoky broth is the base of the flavour, do not pour it away, most of the taste hides in it.
2
Finely chop the onion and garlic. In a second pot soften them in lard, add the diced carrot and fry briefly until the vegetables turn golden and release their sweetness, which ties the soup together.

Vegetables, beans and thickening

3
Pour the smoky broth with the meat into the onion base, add the peeled and diced potatoes, bay leaf and allspice. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are soft and the flavours start to merge.
4
Drain the canned white beans, rinse them under cold water and stir them into the soup. Mix the flour with a little cold water into a smooth roux, pour it into the soup and simmer for five minutes, stirring, until it thickens and loses the floury taste.
5
Finally season the soup with salt, pepper and marjoram, which you rub between your fingers to release its aroma. Let it bubble for a few more minutes and serve with a slice of fresh bread. The next day the soup is even thicker and tastier.