Main Ingredients

500g/1lbs Dried Beans

1 Eisbein (smoked Bacon knuckle/hock) or 1 lamb shank

1-2 Bay Leaves

2 Tomatoes, (peeled and chopped)

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1 Large Red Onion, Chopped

2 Carrots, grated

1 litre/4 cups Vegetable stock

2 litres/8 cups Water

Half tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 Green Jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation

Preferably the day/night before – Wash the Beans and check for any bits of debris or unusable beans.

Place the beans in a large bowl, add enough water to cover the beans and allow them to soak overnight (8 – 12 hours), covered and in the refrigerator.

After soaking rinse the beans well and discard the “soaked in” water

Add the Beans to a large heavy based stock pot or soup pot, add sufficient boiling water to cover the beans, and bring to the boil.

The Beans must boil vigorously for a minimum of 10 minutes

Method

Place the Beans back in the pot, add 2 litres/8 cups water, 1 litre/4 cups Vegetable stock with Salt and Pepper and bring to the boil on a quick heat.

Turn down the heat to a simmer, add all other ingredients, partially cover and simmer for 4 hours or until the beans are starting to disintegrate and the meat is shredding off the bone.

Remove any residual Meat from the bones, discard the bones, remove the Bay Leaves and mash the Bean Soup with a potato masher to get a consistency to your liking. If the Soup is too thick add some extra liquid

Check seasonings

Transfer to serving bowl/s and sprinkle or garnish with either chopped Parsley, chopped Jalapeno Chili, softly cooked whole Beans (Canned Beans) or chopped Cilantro (Coriander)

Tip : For a smoother Soup, use a food processor or hand blender to Liquidise the soup.