Recipes
Bacon Hock and Winter Vegetable Soup
Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
2.5 hours
Servings:
6-8
Vegetables can be changed to suit taste and seasonal availability
- 1 Onion, finely diced
- 3 Large Carrots, grated
- 3 Parsnips, grated
- 1 Kumara, grated (Omit if you want a thin soup)
- 300g Pumpkin, grated (Omit if you want a thin soup)
- 1 Leek, finely diced
- 1 Packet Vegetable Soup Mix
- 1.5 Litres Vegetable or Chicken Stock
- 2 Litres Water
- 1 Bacon Hock, rinsed
- Pinch of Pepper
- *Salt if needed at final taste
Optional:
- 1-2 Stalks Celery, finely diced
- Parsley to serve
You will need a large soup or stock pot - minimum of 7 litres in size unless you halve the recipe.
1. Rinse and prepare your vegetables, peel and grate or dice everything as above.
2. Add the diced onions, grated carrots, Kumara, parsnips, pumpkin, diced and twice rinsed leek to the stock pot.
3. Sprinkle over the soup mix and a pinch of pepper.
4. Then pour over the stock and the water and stir.
5. Rinse your bacon hock then add it whole to the stock pot and ensure everything is well covered with water.
6. Bring to the boil, with the lid off, then reduce to a simmer for 2 to 2 ½ hours, stirring occasionally until the soup liquid has reduced by around a litre.
7. Carefully remove the bacon hock with tongs and on a wooden board cut off the bacon meat from the hock, discard the skin and bones and return the bacon meat finely diced to the soup and cook for a further 20-30 minutes until the bacon meat is tender.
8. Check the taste to see if you require additional salt and add a pinch if required.
9. You can serve the soup warm straight away or allow it to cool and place in refrigerator or freezer to reheat later.
10. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley if you have it on hand.
Tip: Toast up your favourite bread to serve on the side.
