Rice and bean soup with stewed meat

Ingredients

• Canned meat (pork, beef or chicken) — 1 tin, 550 g
• Tinned beans — 1 tin, 200–250 g
• Rice — 120–150 g
• Small potatoes — 3
• Carrot — 1
• Onion — 1
• Vegetable oil — 1–2 tbsp (for the sauté)
• Bay leaves — 2
• Black peppercorns — 5–7 (or 3 allspice berries)
• Salt — 1 heaped tbsp
• Water — 4 l (for a full 5-litre pot)
• Fresh herbs (dill, parsley) — to taste
• Garlic — 3 cloves
• Tomato paste — 1 tbsp (optional), sauté together with the onion
• Paprika — 1 tsp (optional)

Method

1. Dice the potatoes, grate or finely chop the carrot, and finely chop the onion. Rinse the rice 2–3 times until the water runs clear. Drain and rinse the beans.
2. Pour 4 litres of water into a pot and bring to the boil. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, a tablespoon of salt and the onion, then simmer for 3–5 minutes.
3. Add the potatoes, rice, carrot and the entire contents of the tin. Cook for 10–12 minutes over medium heat, until the potatoes are almost done.
4. If you have time: sauté the onion separately for 2–3 minutes. Optionally add the tomato paste to the onion and warm through for 30–40 seconds. Transfer the sauté to the pot.
5. Add the beans, stir and simmer for about 3 minutes until it returns to the boil — tinned beans are already cooked, so they need no long simmering.
6. Taste and add salt if needed. Stir in the herbs and crushed garlic. As soon as it boils, turn off the heat and let it rest for 5–10 minutes under the lid.