Winter bean soup with smoked meat
6 servings
210 minutes
Winter bean soup with smoked meat is a warming and hearty Russian soup perfect for cold evenings. Its history dates back centuries when beans became an essential part of peasant cuisine, providing nourishment and substance to dishes. Smoked pork knuckle and hunter sausages give the soup a rich, smoky aroma that pairs wonderfully with tender beans and fragrant herbs. Bay leaves and rosemary enhance the flavor with subtle spicy notes, while vegetables make it even more robust. This soup is often served with rye bread that absorbs the rich broth, creating a harmony of flavors. Winter bean soup is not just food; it's a true cozy delight that brings warmth and richness on the coldest days.
1
Rinse the beans in a colander.
- Red kidney beans: 400 g
2
In a large pot, bring 2 liters of water to a boil, add the beans, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Red kidney beans: 400 g
3
Remove from heat and let it sit for 1.5 hours.
4
Peel the onion and carrot and cut them into medium cubes.
- Onion: 1 head
- Carrot: 2 pieces
5
Also chop the celery.
- Celery stalk: 2 pieces
6
Chop the garlic.
- Garlic: 3 cloves
7
Return the pot to high heat, bring to a boil, and add the pork knuckle, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, and bay leaf.
- Smoked pork knuckle: 1 piece
- Carrot: 2 pieces
- Celery stalk: 2 pieces
- Onion: 1 head
- Garlic: 3 cloves
- Bay leaf: 2 pieces
8
Bring the soup to a boil again, then reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 1.5-2 hours, stirring occasionally.
9
When the beans are ready, remove the pork knuckle and bay leaf.
- Smoked pork knuckle: 1 piece
- Bay leaf: 2 pieces
10
Slice the hunting sausages into rounds.
- Hunter's sausages (kabanosy): 300 g
11
Cut the skin and fat from the knuckle, and dice the meat.
- Smoked pork knuckle: 1 piece
12
Finely chop the rosemary leaves.
- Rosemary: 1 sprig
13
Add sausages, pieces of pork knuckle, and rosemary to the soup, season with salt and pepper, and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
- Hunter's sausages (kabanosy): 300 g
- Smoked pork knuckle: 1 piece
- Rosemary: 1 sprig
- Salt: to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper: to taste
