Hearty green bean and potato stew

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg potatoes, mainly waxy, peeled, quartered
• 1 kg beans (stalks)
• 200 ml whipped cream, optional
• 500 g pork knuckle(s), or leftovers from roast suckling pig, optional
• 100 g bacon, streaky, smoked, diced
• 2 medium-sized onions, peeled and diced
• n. B. Nutmeg
• n. B. Salt
• n. B. Pfeffer
• n. B. Savory, dried
• e.g. milk or soy milk
• 1 tbsp butter, optional

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

no soup, historical family recipe for 200 years

It is very important that all ingredients are warm when cooked, otherwise the end result will be lukewarm or cold. The original family recipe (cheaper version): Fry the bacon, add the onions and fry on a low heat until nicely browned. Cut the green beans into pieces about 2 cm long and cook in salted water until tender, but not too soft. Boil the potatoes in a large pot alongside the beans in salted water. When everything is cooked, set the pots to keep warm (level 0.5 on electric stoves). Preheat the milk, add 1 tablespoon of butter (if you like), drain the potatoes and mash with enough milk to form a relatively thin, but not runny, puree. Season well with nutmeg. Then drain the beans, add the bacon and onions and mix everything together. Finally, season with savory, pepper and salt and serve immediately. The modern “luxury version” (also ideal for using up leftovers, such as pork roasts): The day before, cook the pork knuckle in plenty of salted water with a sliced ​​raw onion, skimming off any foam. Let it cool, then skin the knuckle, bone it, and cut it into bite-sized pieces. If you have leftover roast meat or even suckling pig (very tasty!) from a party, for example, simply chop it up and warm it in the oven before cooking. On the day of preparation: Prepare all ingredients as described above, up to draining the potatoes. Mash the potatoes and stir in 200 ml of cream and continue as above. Stir in the meat before seasoning. Tips: You can also use runner beans instead of green beans. It tastes different, but still very good. The preparation is similar. For vegetarians, omit the bacon and meat and use more freshly roasted onions or croutons. Also add 1-2 tablespoons of oil for vitamin solubility. For vegans, I think you could also mix it with soy milk and a few tablespoons of oil, but I doubt it would taste as good. If anyone tries it, I’d appreciate your feedback. For those who are really lazy, you can also use instant mashed potatoes and canned green beans or even string beans. Canned beans, however, tend to fall apart when stirred, and string beans have a stronger flavor. The stew freezes and reheats well, so it’s worth cooking larger batches at once—especially during bean season. The shelf life in the freezer is 12 months without meat, and 6 months with meat. Note: My ancestors had many children and little money, but a large vegetable garden, so something simple but very tasty like this came to the table. The original is called “Kiwernzopp” in Rhenish Low German (Kiwern are beans that require stringing first; Zopp means soup, but also stew). There are two variants, both of which are inexpensive and quick to make.