Romanian pork and pasta soup

Name: Romanian pork and pasta soup
Ingredients: 300 g boneless pork shoulder; 2 tablespoons oil; 1000 ml water; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 bay leaves; 1 tablespoon oil; 2 carrots; 1 bell pepper; 1 medium onion (150 g); 1 tablespoon granulated garlic; 1000 ml water; 100 g penne; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper; 15 g parsley; 150 g sour cream; 2 hot peppers

Soups - Romanian pork and pasta soup by Claudia N. - Recipia

Romanian pork and pasta soup (ciorbă de porc cu paste) starts with meat browned for five minutes and simmered until tender before the pasta goes in; the broth takes on a porky flavor and the pasta turns tender. The carrot, pepper and onion are sautéed separately, while the granulated garlic and tomato paste stay in the background. I serve it with sour cream and hot peppers. Prep: 20 minutes. Cook: 73 minutes. Total: 93 minutes. Serves: 4. About 450 kcal and 20 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

300 g boneless pork shoulder
2 tablespoons oil
1000 ml water
1 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon oil
2 carrots
1 bell pepper
1 medium onion (150 g)
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1000 ml water
100 g penne
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
15 g parsley
150 g sour cream
2 hot peppers

Preparation

1. Pat the meat dry with paper towels and cut it into roughly 2 cm cubes. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 3 l pot and brown the meat for 5 minutes. 2. Pour in 1000 ml water, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the bay leaves. Simmer over low heat for 40 minutes, until the meat is tender. 3. Peel the onion and carrots and seed the pepper, then chop them as you like. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and sauté the vegetables for 8 minutes, until slightly softened. Sprinkle in the granulated garlic during the last two minutes. 4. Add another 1000 ml water, the sautéed vegetables and the pasta to the pot. Simmer for 20 minutes, until the pasta is tender. 5. Add the tomato paste, another 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped parsley. Serve with sour cream and hot peppers.

Notes

Boneless pork shoulder works well cut into cubes; if you use a leaner cut from the leg, check the texture towards the end, as it may stay firmer. You can skim off the foam that gathers on the surface at the beginning with a spoon if you want a clearer broth. You can replace the granulated garlic with 2 crushed cloves, added to the pan towards the end of sautéing the vegetables. Penne absorbs the broth as it sits, so the soup may be thicker the next day; thin it with a little water when reheating. Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. A 3 l pot leaves room for the liquid and vegetables without the broth coming right up to the rim. Regular penne contains gluten, and sour cream contains dairy; for a gluten-free version, use 100 g gluten-free pasta and follow the cooking time on the package. I serve bread and hot peppers on the side.