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Bowl of jota triestina with borlotti beans, sauerkraut, and shredded smoked pork in a thick broth, served with rye bread

Jota Triestina: the hearty bean and sauerkraut soup from Trieste

A traditional Triestine soup of borlotti beans, sauerkraut, smoked pork, and potato, cooked low and slow for a thick, tangy broth.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 390
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beans and broth
  • 300 g dried borlotti beans soaked overnight in cold water, drained
  • 1.5 liters cold water for cooking the beans
  • 2 garlic cloves whole, peeled
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 medium (about 180 g) floury potato peeled and cut into small cubes
Sauerkraut and pork
  • 400 g sauerkraut in brine do not rinse, roughly chopped if strands are long
  • 400 g smoked pork ribs or ham hock 1 section of ribs or 1 small hock
  • 2 tbsp lard or olive oil for sautéing the sauerkraut
  • 1 garlic clove thinly sliced, for the sauerkraut soffritto
  • 1 tsp black pepper coarsely ground
  • to taste fine salt add only at the end as the pork is already salty

Method
 

Cook the beans
  1. Drain the soaked borlotti beans and put them in a large stockpot with 1.5 liters of cold water, the 2 whole garlic cloves, and the bay leaves.
  2. Add the smoked pork ribs or ham hock directly to the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
  3. Reduce to a steady simmer, cover partially, and cook for 60 to 70 minutes until the beans are completely tender but not falling apart.
Prepare the sauerkraut
  1. While the beans cook, heat lard or olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook for 1 minute until pale gold.
  2. Add the sauerkraut including all its brine liquid to the skillet. Stir to coat, then cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauerkraut softens slightly and smells mellow rather than sharp.
Combine and finish
  1. Transfer the cooked sauerkraut into the stockpot with the beans and pork. Add the cubed potato pieces and stir everything together.
  2. Simmer uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes until the potato is completely soft and the broth has thickened. Remove the bay leaves.
  3. Lift out the pork ribs or ham hock. Pull all the meat off the bone and cut or shred it into bite-sized pieces. Return the meat to the pot.
  4. Use a wooden spoon to smash roughly a quarter of the beans against the side of the pot. Stir well so the crushed beans thicken the broth. The texture should be thick and spoonable, not watery.
  5. Taste and adjust salt now. Add coarsely ground black pepper. Rest the pot off the heat for 20 minutes before ladling into deep bowls.

Notes

Start this soup the day before you want to serve it - overnight resting in the fridge gives the beans and sauerkraut time to fully meld, and the flavor improves noticeably.