Cabbage Soup #3 (with Pork Shoulder and Bacon)
Savory flavors of bacon and seared pork shoulder make this cabbage soup special
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
The Pork Shoulder
- 1 Pork Shoulder, bone-in or boneless, cubed Ours was bone-in so we threw the bone in the soup. It was 1.8 lbs. including the bone.
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The Bacon
- 1 lb. Bacon, chopped
The Soup Base
- 1 Sweet Onion, diced
- 2 - 3 Carrots, Diced We used a couple dozen baby carrots that needed using
- 3 - 4 cloves Garlic, diced
- 1 small Shallot, diced
The Soup
- 8 - 10 cups Vegetable Stock We made ours from Better than Bouillon
- 1 cup Fresh Okra, chopped We used 6 whole ones from garden. Frozen would work, too.
- 2 - 3 Bay Leaves
- 8 - 12 Fresh Sage Leaves, stems trimmed, chopped
- 1 tbsp. Dried Rosemary
- 1 head Cabbage, green or purple, chunked
Instructions
Brown the Pork Shoulder
- Pat the pork shoulder dry with a paper towel. Cut into approx. 1" chunks. Toss with some oil and coat generously with salt and pepper. Using the saute function on the Instant Pot (or similar pressure cooker) brown the pork shoulder chunks, working in batches (don't crowd the pot and see notes). This step may take up to 20 minutes depending on how many batches it takes.
- Remove the pork shoulder chunks and set aside on a plate as they brown.
Cook the Bacon
- Cook the chopped bacon, stirring or tossing occasionally, approximately 10 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate or bowl. Drain most of the grease up to a couple tablespoons needed to cook the soup base.
The Soup Base
- Saute the onion and carrot mixture, stirring occasionally, for 8 - 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and shallot and cook for another 2 - 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, and until fragrant. (Note; can help deglaze in this step as the vegetables release water by scraping as you stir)
Assemble the Soup
- Deglaze the pot with a small amount of stock, scraping any bits stuck at the bottom (We don't want that dreaded burn notice!). Hit cancel and remove from saute mode.
- Add back the meat items plus the remaining ingredients. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Natural release for another 10 minutes (We don't want the cabbage to turn into mush!). Quick release the remaining pressure.
- When pressure is gone open the top and allow to cool for several minutes.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
Notes
Browning the shoulder chunks: Work in batches to avoid crowding. The chunks may at times want to stick but should give once each side is browned. Just use a spatula to gently jiggle them to test when they are ready. The IP may become too hot at times since this and future steps take some time. It may require hitting the cancel button to help with release and then returning to saute mode with the next batch.