Czech Pork Soup

Submitted by twissis

"Another soup recipe from *Stroganov to Strudel* (Great Traditional Cooking From Germany, Austria, Hungary & the Czech Republic) - Thanks to my great-uncle Emil (Placek) who married my great-aunt Loretta (Sullivan), my Irish family was exposed to & I grew up loving the Czech cuisine. Soups like this easy-fix + a salad made from their garden of plenty are fond memories of my childhood (Like most soups, time is almost all cook time, but I also allowed 10 min for ingredient prep). *Enjoy* !"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 5mins
• Ingredients: 9
• Serves: 4-6

ingredients

• 12 ounces pork shoulder or 12 ounces pork tenderloin, lean & cut into 1/2-in cubes
• 1 large onion (finely sliced)
• 2⁄3 cup carrot (finely diced)
• 3 garlic cloves (crushed)
• 6 1⁄4 cups water or 6 1/4 cups de-fatted pork stock
• 2 teaspoons fresh marjoram (chopped)
• 6 tablespoons long-grain rice (cooked, See note below) or 6 tablespoons pearl barley (cooked, See note below)
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• sour cream, a dollop to garnish (optional)

directions

1. Put the pork cubes, onion, carrot & garlic in a lrg pan. Add water (or stock if using).
2. Simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hrs till meat is tender.
3. Skim (if necessary) b4 adding marjoram. Season w/salt & pepper to taste pref & simmer for a further 5-10 minutes.
4. TO SERVE: Place rice (or barley if using) in serving bowls & ladle the soup over it. In true Czech tradition, garnish w/a dollop of sour cream as desired. Just too easy, isn't it?.
5. NOTE: This *Cooks Tip* was noted: "For a more substantial soup, dbl the amt of rice (or barley).".

Reviews

[Wobin]

I was a bit scared because this recipe seemed so simple. The end result was very enjoyable. It was mild and comforting almost like chicken noodle soup but with more of a kick. I was going to use barely but forgot to buy it at the store so I went with rice. I used a pork tenderloin instead of the pork shoulder because it was on sale. It made perfect pink little chunks of meat in the soup. Next time I will try the shoulder because I am thinking it might shredd nicely instead of having the cubes making it feel like more of a hearty soup. I put a lot of pepper in and topped with a dallop of sour cream. I wasnt sure what else to serve with it so I made some focaccia bread and it went well. I might look for a nice Czech bread recipe just to make it more fun when serving guests.

 

[Annacia]

I don't know that I have had a pork soup before but I'll have it again. I used barley in a double portion because the soup and a biscuit was my complete dinner. I also went with the barley because I recently discovered that it has the lowest glycemic index of all the grains (and I like it!). I used fat free chicken stock as I didn't have pork stock and the chicken have more flavor that water would. The barley was raw but I just put it in with the pork cubes at the start and it was perfect. Thanks twiss for a brand new discovery.

 

[Jmommy209]

This was a good soup, a nice way to use some pork I had in the freezer. I added a potato and half a head of cabbage that I needed to use up as well. It is a very mild soup, not as boldly flavored as I usually prefer. I used wild rice instead of long grain or barley, which I think would be fantastic, and I would have used if we'd had some. Thank you for a yummy dinner.