Bacon Hock & Vegetable Soup

Please note –  this soup takes 12 hours to simmer the Bacon Hock to achieve maximum flavour. You can do this overnight in a slow cooker.

Delicious slow cooked bacon hock guarantees this soup a full-bodied depth of  flavour that is worlds apart from any store brought soup.

The nutritional benefits are amazing in this bacon hock & vegetable soup , you have a wonderful stock/broth filled with beneficial gelatin and nutrients from the bacon/ ham hock and then all the wonderful vegetables are cooked in the broth, so you don’t  lose any nutrients by tipping away the water that your vegetables cook in.

It is perfect when you’re feeling a bit run down or succumbing to  winters colds.   It was great the other day when Will , my 5-year-old ,  said Mummy you never get sick, and to be honest, I have not been sick for a very long time (fingers crossed, I’m not tempting fate!!!)

Soups like this are also very versatile,  just put in  whatever vegetables you like best,  the only vegetables I don’t put in are white potatoes, 1 because we don’t eat many potatoes these days and  2 – if you have leftovers the potato seems to change the whole taste and it just tastes a bit wrong!!

Other than that, I put in as many different vegetables as I can and because I generally blitz the soup you cannot taste individual vegetables, perfect for fussy eaters like my son.

Try this Pumpkin Soup it’s also REAL yummy.

Notes – You can blitz the soup for a creamier texture and fussy eaters or have it as is for a more rustic soup (we prefer it blitzed)

Bacon Hock & Vegetable Soup

 

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Prep time

15 hours

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

15 hours 30 mins

 

Serves: 6- 10 serves

Ingredients

• Broth/stock
• 1 large bacon hock
• 8 cups of water
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 large onions
• small knob of fresh ginger
• Vegetables for the soup all chopped into cubes
• 1 large Kumara (sweet potato)
• ¼ of a large pumpkin
• 2 large carrots
• 1-2 cups of broccoli
• 2 large silverbeet leaves (or spinach/ kale)
• 1 parsnip
• 1 cup of cauliflower

Instructions

1. Simmer bacon hock, onions, garlic, ginger and bay leaves in a large saucepan or slow cooker with about 8 cups of water for 12 + hours
2. once simmered for 12 + hours allow to cool
3. strain liquid and remove, onions, garlic and meat from hock refrigerate until required,
4. discard fat and bones (or use them again to make more stock)
5. Refrigerate stock/broth
6. once stock/broth is cool the fat will settle on the top as white spots, scoop off and discard.
7. Reheat your stock then add your chopped vegetables,, garlic and onions
8. Heat until vegetable are cooked and soft
9. Use a stick blender for a smoother texture then add in hock meat and warm through
10. Serve with a spoonful of cream stirred through
11. Freezes well

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