Red Peas Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cupsdried kidney beans, soaked overnight in plenty of cold water, then drained
• 2 lbsalt beef (or oxtail/salted pork), cut into 5cm pieces; salt beef, salted pigtail or oxtail all work
• 1 largecarrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2scallions, chopped, white and green parts
• 4 sprigsfresh thyme
• 1onion, diced
• black pepper, about 1/2 tsp, or to taste
• 2red pepper, chopped
• 4garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbspallspice (ground)
• 8 1/2 cupswater, plus extra as needed
• 4potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1 cupcoconut milk
• 1 cupall-purpose flour (for dumplings), mixed with water into a soft dough for the spinner dumplings
• 1/4 cupwater (for dumplings), for the dumpling dough
• salt, to taste

Method

1. 1

   The night before, soak the dried kidney beans in a large bowl of cold water.

2. 2

   If you are using salt beef or salted pigtail, cut it into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces, cover with water in a deep pot and boil for 20 minutes. Drain, rinse and do it once more — this draws out most of the curing salt.

3. 3

   Drain the beans and put them in a large pot with the meat, carrot, onion, red pepper, garlic, thyme, allspice, scallions and black pepper. Pour in the 2 liters of water, bring to a boil and skim off the froth, then cook uncovered at a gentle boil for 1 hour 15 minutes, until the beans are very tender and starting to fall apart.

4. 4

   Add the potatoes and coconut milk and cook for 15 minutes.

5. 5

   While the potatoes cook, mix the flour with the dumpling water and a pinch of salt into a soft dough that no longer sticks, and rest it for 5 minutes. Pinch off tablespoon-sized pieces and roll each between your palms into a slim cigar about 2½ inches (6 cm) long.

6. 6

   Add the dumplings to the pot and cook at a rolling boil for 15 minutes, until they are cooked through. Taste and season with salt.

Nutrition per serving