Bean Soup with Smoked Pork Knuckle

Bean soup with smoked pork knuckle is one of the heartiest, most comforting soups of Hungarian cooking: smoky, rich and substantial. It takes time, but it almost cooks itself.

1. Soak the 300 g pinto beans in cold water the night before.

2. The next day put the drained beans, the 500 g smoked pork knuckle and the 2 bay leaves into a large pot, pour in the 2.5 litres of water and put it on to cook.

3. Add the cleaned, chopped 2 carrots and 1 parsley root, the halved onion and the 2 cloves garlic, then cook tender over a low heat (the knuckle takes about 1.5-2 hours).

4. Take out the knuckle, remove the bone and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.

5. Stir the 1 teaspoon paprika into the soup (off the heat, so it does not turn bitter) and season with salt and pepper – the smoked meat is already salty, so salt carefully.

6. Return the meat to the soup, bring it back together and serve.

Tip: It is even better the next day, so feel free to cook a larger batch.