Neil Perry's Mexican pork and chickpea soup

Name: Neil Perry's Mexican pork and chickpea soup
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1kg pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2cm cubes; ½ white onion; 2 cloves garlic; 8 stems coriander; 2 bay leaves; sea salt; flavour paste (recipe below); 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed For the flavour paste; 3 large dried ancho chillies, stemmed and seeded (available from Mexican food suppliers); 1 clove garlic; ½ large white onion, roughly chopped; ½ tsp dried Mexican oregano; ½ tsp cumin seeds; sea salt Sides, for serving; 1 cup shaved cabbage (red, white or both); ½ small red onion, thinly sliced; 2 cups corn chips; 4 limes, halved; 1 tbsp chilli powder

Neil Perry

Updated May 4, 2018, first published April 30, 2018

Mexican style pork and chickpea soup William Meppem

Time:2 hours +Serves:4

This hearty and delicious soup is so simple to make, but oh so good. You must give it a squeeze of lime.

Ingredients

1kg pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2cm cubes
½ white onion
2 cloves garlic
8 stems coriander
2 bay leaves
sea salt
flavour paste (recipe below)
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

For the flavour paste
3 large dried ancho chillies, stemmed and seeded (available from Mexican food suppliers)
1 clove garlic
½ large white onion, roughly chopped
½ tsp dried Mexican oregano
½ tsp cumin seeds
sea salt

Sides, for serving
1 cup shaved cabbage (red, white or both)
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups corn chips
4 limes, halved
1 tbsp chilli powder

Method

1. To make the flavour paste, place the chillies in a heatproof bowl and add boiling water to cover. Allow to sit until the chillies are softened, about 20 minutes. Place chillies in a blender. Add the garlic, onion, oregano, cumin and a generous pinch of sea salt and purée, adding just enough of the soaking water to form a smooth paste (about 1 tablespoon).
2. For the soup, place the onion, garlic, coriander stems and bay leaves in a piece of cheesecloth, secure with twine to form a bundle, then set aside.
3. Season the pork on all sides with sea salt. Place the pork, flavour paste and herb bundle in a large stockpot. Add 2½ litres of water, give the whole pot a good stir, bring to the boil and reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the pork is tender (60 to 90 minutes).
4. When cooked, remove the herb bundle and stir in the chickpeas to heat through, check seasoning and add salt if needed.
5. For the side dish, place the cabbage and onion in a large bowl.
6. Ladle the soup into large bowls. Serve with the cabbage, onion, corn chips, limes and chilli powder in the middle of the table, so everyone can add extras to their own taste.
More Mexican recipes

Continue this series

Neil Perry’s 50 all-time greatest winter recipes

Up next

Serving suggestion: Neil Perry's Moroccan-style lamb roast with a simple orange and fennel salad. Just add couscous.

Moroccan-style slow-roasted lamb leg with eggplant

This dish is full of flavour already. However, if you add an orange and fennel salad (or a date and orange salad), plus a bowl of couscous or rice, then you have the perfect meal. As for leftovers, the lamb is awesome for sandwiches and I like the eggplant served on toasted crusty bread with garlic rubbed on it and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Alternatively, you can dice the lamb, fold it through the eggplant and spoon it on penne.

Neil Perry's potato gratin

This recipe goes well alongside my slow-roasted rib of beef with horseradish cream (recipe below).

Neil Perry's braised chicken with lentils and vegetables.

Chicken casserole: Braised chicken with lentils

With this chicken recipe, you could try duck legs instead of chicken. They will take a little longer and should be cooked until the meat is falling off the bone. You can also add heat with a couple of chopped red chillies or a teaspoon of chilli flakes. And if you want to save time, use tinned lentils – just drain, wash and add at the end.

See all stories

The best recipes from Australia's leading chefs straight to your inbox.