Potatoes and smoked pork soup

This recipe is a variant of this one Broccoli, beetroot and potatoes.

Comfort food or a recipe for body and soul. 

It's perfect when you have a cold/flu, or you are ill. It's also indicated when you are on a diet.

Gluten-free and absolutely delicious. You need to try it. You will love it. I promise. 

Drop me a line if you need any help or have questions. I cook since I was a child, and I used to not like soups, but now I adore them. There is nothing more tasty and colourful. 

All my friends enjoy it extremely. For good reasons. 

Please, be sensible with the quantities and if you don't have an ingredient, add something else you like. Be creative. This comfort food is not pretentious. 

Degree of difficulty: low-medium (depending on your cooking skills)

Preparation time: 25-30 minutes 

Servings: 3 - 4 

Ingredients

• 3  medium size potatoes. White, red, mixed. Maybe not sweet potatoes. They taste weird... to me. 
• 1 yellow onion. Or red, white, shallots
• 1 medium size carrot

• 1 green pepper. Or red or yellow
• 200 g smoked pork. If you don't have smoked, you can add unsmoked. The flavour will change dramatically. Anyway, you can add smoked bacon or any type of meat you prefer: chicken, beef, duck
• 2 tablespoons oil. Olive oil is my favourite, but you can use whatever you have and like
• 200 ml tomato juice

• 3 -4 cups (200 ml one = 1 l) of water - depending on how liquid (thick) you want to have it. I would suggest you add the first 2 cups, then wait to see if it's how you like it, and then add others
• 1 teaspoon of dried thyme or savoury (English?) or a few leaves if it's fresh. - I wouldn't make any soup without thyme. It's my favourite herb ever and I am emotionally attached to it. If you decide not to add it, the taste will change a lot, but it will still be very tasty.

• Optional fresh parsley, just a few leaves, to ornate and give more colours and flavour to your soup
• 1 teaspoon of salt (depending on your taste)
• Optional: 1 teaspoon of paprika (chilli)

Method of preparation

• Prepare a pot or saucepan of the size you desire/have, and add the oil
• Wash the meat and chop it into 2-3 cm cubes. Put it in the saucepan over all the vegetables (onion, peppers, and carrots). Leave 5 minutes at medium heat, stirring from time to time
• Mince the onion and put it in the pot on top of the pork, leave it for 2 minutes, very slow cook
• Wash and clean the carrots, use a greater or cut them into small cubes (3 ml, less than 1 cm)
• Dice the pepper, add them (the carrots too) over the onion to cook for 1 minute, weak fire
• Wash the potatoes, and chop them (1 cm diameter or as you wish)
• Pour  the hot water, add the diced potatoes, cover, and let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes
• Put salt and tomato juice - leave 2-3 minutes, then the minced parsley, check the taste; add more salt and paprika if you desire, plus the minced fresh parsley. Ready.
• Serve it hot with toast, fresh garlic bread, croutons, or any type of bread. It's absolutely delicious.

Mentions

• Every ingredient could be replaced with whatever you like. This statement is valid for any of my recipes unless stated otherwise. If you don't like peppers, don't add any.

• I added some cabbage to this one. But I always add or take ingredients to this recipe. Sometimes I add peas, chickpeas, lentils, and so on. The sky is the limit.

• Please don't eliminate the onion, that's what gives it a special flavour. 

• Do your best to add thyme, I am sure you'll like it.

• If you cook for more people, double the quantities, and vice-versa. 

• For a vegan, or vegetarian version, just eliminate the meat/pork. The taste will change, for sure, but it will still be delicious. I have tried it and I was delighted.  I'll publish the recipe soon. 

Thank you so much for your visit. 

📚

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The e-books in Romanian, signed with Cristina Gherghel (no longer Cristina G.), can be found here (Google Play). 

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Credit picture: Some are from Pixabay, some others from PNGtree.