Old-fashioned Bean Soup

Potjie No: 3 or 4
Serves: 6
Cooking Time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients
1 kg dried beans (kidney, haricot or sugar beans)
1 pickled and smoked pork shank
3 litres meat stock
2 large onions, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
1 stalk leafy celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme or 5 ml dried
10 ml salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
15 ml vinegar or lemon juice
250 g bacon, rinds removed and coarsely chopped
30 ml chopped fresh parsley or 10 ml dried

Method
Soak beans overnight in enough water to cover.
Place pork shank and drained beans in potjie and add enough stock to cover.
Bring to the boil, frequently skimming off foam, and simmer until the beans and meat are almost tender.
Add vegetables, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper and simmer for another 20 minutes
or until vegetables are tender.
Add vinegar or lemon juice and season soup with more salt and pepper if necessary.
Fry bacon until crisp in separate small potjie.
Serve soup in suitable deep bowls and sprinkle with a little parsley and bacon.