← Nouns Cooking · Italian

Ingredients

• 250 g dried borlotti beans, soaked overnight
• 400 g Sauerkraut, rinsed and squeezed
• 300 g Potato, peeled and diced
• 400 g smoked pork ribs or a smoked ham hock
• 100 g smoked pancetta or bacon, diced
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, chopped
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 tsp caraway or cumin seeds (optional)
• 1 tbsp plain flour (optional, to thicken) (optional)
• 2 l Water
• 3 tbsp Olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Drain the soaked beans and put them in a large pot with the smoked ribs, one bay leaf and the water. Simmer for 1 hour until the beans are almost tender.
2. Meanwhile, in another pan, fry the pancetta in the oil over medium heat for 5 min. Add the onion and garlic and soften for 5 min, then stir in the sauerkraut, the second bay leaf and the caraway and cook gently for 15 min.
3. Add the potatoes to the beans and simmer for 20 min until both are soft.
4. Lift out the ribs, pull the meat off the bones and return it to the pot. Mash some of the beans and potatoes against the side to thicken the soup.
5. Stir in the sauerkraut and simmer together for 10 min. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Tips

• Trieste cooks often thicken jota with a little flour browned in fat; skip it and the soup is naturally gluten-free.
• Tinned borlotti (two 400 g tins) cut the time down: add them with the potatoes.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Memorie di Angelina Great Italian Chefs