Pressure Cooker Romanian-Style Pork and Bean Soup

I first ate this soup in Brașov, Romania, deep in the Carpathian Mountains — home of a legendary someone who strikes fear in the hearts of the living. 🧛🏻‍♂️ I like food that reminds me of far away places (back when I had a more interesting life). This soup very loosely resembles the soup I ate in Romania but without the extreme gastric pain from the mujdei hot sauce (it was worth it). This is my simplified version of that deeply comforting soup (apology in advance to any offended Romanians, your beautiful country made my heart sing). Pork chops, white beans, a few vegetables, layered spices, and quick-pickled red onions to cut through the richness. Do not skip the pickled onions, they are everything and stupid-easy to make.

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Ingredients

(see printable recipe card down below)

SERVINGS: 6 | Start to finish: 25 minutes

For the pickled red onions:

• 1 red onion (150 g), ends removed, halved and thinly sliced

• ½ cup (120 ml) apple cider vinegar

• ½ tsp sugar (omit if insulin resistant)

• 1 tsp (6 g) salt

Note: You can buy pickled red onions at most grocery stores or online, but the price is offensive ($14–$20) when you can make them at home in five minutes for almost nothing.

For the soup:

• 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil or avocado oil

• 2 pounds boneless pork chops or pork loin(approximately 900 g), visible fat trimmed, cut into 1-inch chunks

• 1 medium white or yellow onion (200 g), chopped

• 2 stalks celery (80 g), chopped

• 2 carrots (160 g), peeled and chopped

• 1 bell pepper (150 g), any color, chopped

• 1 can (794 g / 28 oz) no salt added diced tomatoes

• 4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium broth of choice

• 2 tbsp (6 g) dried dill

• 2 cans (411 g / 14.5 oz each) white beans, drained and rinsed

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How To Make This

Start here — make the pickled onions first:

Combine the sliced onion, vinegar, sugar and salt in a medium bowl, stir until the salt dissolves. Cover and set aside until you're ready to serve. They'll be ready by the time the soup is done.

Pressure cooker:

1. Add the oil and pork to the pressure cooker and stir to coat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, pepper, tomatoes, broth, and dill on top and do not stir. Secure the lid and pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. Manually release the pressure and carefully remove the lid.

2. Gently stir in the beans, replace the lid, and let stand for 5 minutes. The beans will heat through and the broth will thicken slightly. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

3. Serve in bowls topped with pickled onions.

Chef’s Tips

The pickled onions are not optional. I know they look like a garnish and garnishes are easy to skip when you're tired, but they're doing structural work here — the acidity cuts through the richness of the pork and beans in a way that makes the whole bowl taste brighter and less heavy. Five minutes to make them. Worth every one.

The pork must be cut in 1-inch pieces so they cook evenly.

Storage and Reheat

Keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Store the pickled onions separately — they'll last in the fridge for up to two weeks and make everything they touch better. To reheat, warm over medium-low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of water because the broth thickens.

Freeze in portions without the pickled onions for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop with a splash of water or broth, if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Can I use a different cut of pork?

  Pork shoulder works well and adds even more richness. Pork tenderloin is leaner and cooks faster — reduce the cooking time slightly if you go that route. Avoid anything too thin or it'll dry out.goes here

• My soup is too thick after reheating. What do I do?

  Add a splash of broth or water and stir over low heat until it loosens to your liking. This soup thickens considerably as it sits — it's not ruined, it just needs a little liquid reintroduced.

• Can I freeze this?

  Yes. Freeze in portions without the pickled onions for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop. Make a fresh batch of pickled onions when you're ready to serve — they take five minutes to make.

Before You Go

If this made meal time a little easier, leave a comment below or a review on the recipe card. Tell me what you swapped or what you added.

Melissa

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Romanian-Style Pork and Bean Soup

Servings: 6

Author: Melissa

This is as much simpler version from the authentic because I have limited space in my RV kitchen and limited grocery options in my area. But with a couple of pork chops, a few veggies from the fridge, a can of beans and a few spices, I recreated this comforting, tangy soup topped with quick-pickled red onions that you can make and ignore while the soup bubbles in a pressure cooker or on the stove top.

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Ingredients

Pickled Onions

• 1 red onion, ends removed, halved and thinly sliced
• ½ cup vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Soup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil OR oil of choice
• 2 boneless pork chops (approximately 2 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped (no need to thaw, if frozen)
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped (no need to thaw, if frozen)
• 1 bell pepper (capsicum), any color, chopped (no need to thaw, if frozen)
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups broth of choice (I used 4 chicken bouillon cubes + 4 cups water)
• 2 tablespoons dried dill
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans white beans, rinsed and drained

Instructions

1. Make the pickled onion garnish:
2. In a medium bowl, add the onion, vinegar, sugar and salt. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve, cover until ready to serve.
3. Pressure cooker option:
4. Place the oil and pork in a pressure cooker: stir. Add the onion, celery, carrot, pepper, tomatoes, broth and dill (do not stir). Secure the lid and pressure cook on high for 12 minutes. Manually release the pressure and carefully remove the lid.
5. Gently stir in the beans and cover with the lid. Let stand 5 minutes to heat the beans and let the broth thicken. Taste for seasoning adding salt and pepper to taste
6. Serve in bowls garnished with picked onions
7. Stove top option:
8. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the oil and the pork. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes.
9. Add the onion, celery, carrot and peppers and cook, stirring ocassionally, for 5 minutes.
10. Add the broth, tomatoes and dill. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
11. Gently stir in the beans. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste
12. Serve in bowls garnished with picked onions

Notes

NOTE: you can purchase picked red onions at your grocer or on Amazon, but the price is prohibitive ($14 - $20) considering you can make them on the cheap at home.

Recommended Products on Amazon

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Nutrition Info

Fat (g)

9 g

Fiber (g)

10 g

Protein (g)

22 g

Nutrition info provided as a courtesy and basic guideline. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. View Nutrition Disclosure

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