Soup is the ultimate comfort food. Versatile, soothing and warm, soup can help you relax after a long cold day while you long for the beach and sunshine. For those of us fighting the cold and flu this winter, sipping on a hot broth can be a lifesaver. Hearty soups are a complete meal in a bowl, leaving you satisfied and sometimes sleepy.
This pork and bean soup is savory and filling. The recipe calls for our hearty bean soup base and adds big flavor. The soup base is a sweet and spicy mixture full of sausage, bacon, great northern white beans and seasonings. Since you make the base beforehand and just add it to the rest of the ingredients, you’ll cut down on prep time. Smoked pork neck is available at most grocery or specialty store meat counters. The addition of both canned tomatoes and sundried tomatoes gives a deep sweet and acidic tomato flavor that blends with the smokiness of the pork for a rich, multi-layered soup.
Ingredients
- 3 stalks of celery, chopped
- 2 cups of Vidallia or sweet onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cups of tomatoes, chopped
- 3 oz of sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 smoked pork necks
- 2 cups of Hearty Bean Soup Base
- 8-9 cups of water
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Saute the celery and onions until soft.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and continue cooking over medium-high heat.
- The tomatoes will release liquid while they cook down.
- Break up the tomatoes while they cook, until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the chopped sundried tomatoes, smoked pork neck, soup base and water.
- Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
- Skim off any surface foam and reduce heat to a simmer.
- Cover and stir occasionally and continue to skim off any foam.
- Ladle soup into bowls and serve.
Meatless Monday is so much more appealing when incorporating this tasty dish featuring Randall Great Northern Beans.
