Romanian bean soup with smoked pork rind

Ingredients

• 500 g small beans
• 2000 ml water for soaking
• 400 g smoked pork rind with rib bones
• 2000 ml water
• 1500 ml water
• 50 ml oil
• 2 medium onions (300 g)
• 2 medium carrots (200 g)
• 1 parsley root (100 g)
• 1 parsnip root (100 g)
• 1/2 medium celeriac (250 g)
• 2 medium peppers (300 g)
• 500 ml hot water
• 1 teaspoon Vegeta
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 5 medium tomatoes (600 g)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 30 g dill
• 1 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Pick over and rinse the beans, then soak them for 4 hours in 2000 ml cold water. Drain and rinse them. 2. Put the smoked pork rind and rib bones in a pot with 2000 ml cold water. Simmer for 60 minutes, until the rind softens, then remove the bones. 3. Put the beans in a pressure cooker with 1500 ml fresh water and cook for 40 minutes, until the beans are soft. 4. Peel and chop the onion, carrots, parsley root, parsnip and celeriac. In a large pot, sauté them in 50 ml oil for 5 minutes, until the onion turns translucent. 5. Pour in the liquid the pork rind cooked in and simmer the vegetables for 15 minutes, until the carrots start to soften. 6. Core and chop the peppers, add them to the pot and cook for another 10 minutes, until softened. 7. Add the cooked beans with all their liquid and the pork rind. Simmer for 3 minutes, until the soup comes to a boil a few times. If it is too thick, add up to 500 ml hot water; any water left over will not be used. Add 1 teaspoon Vegeta and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper. 8. Chop the tomatoes and add them along with the tomato paste. Simmer for 15 minutes, until the tomatoes soften. 9. Chop the dill and add it to the pot. Add 1 teaspoon salt, stir and simmer for 1 more minute, just long enough for it to come to a boil.