Jota Carsolina
A comforting bean, potato and sour turnip soup from the Karst plateau, known in Slovene as kraška jota and traditionally soured with brovada.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Total
- 75 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 485 kcal
Equipment
- •Large heavy-bottomed pot
- •Medium saucepan
- •Small frying pan
- •Potato masher
- •Ladle
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 485 kcal
- fat
- 22 g
- carbs
- 44 g
- fibre
- 11 g
- protein
- 26 g
- calories
- 485 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Place the diced potatoes and smoked pork ribs into a large pot with the water and bay leaves.
- 2
Bring the liquid to a gentle boil over medium heat and cook for fifteen minutes.
- 3
Add the drained cooked borlotti beans to the pot and continue simmering until the potatoes are completely tender.
- 4
Meanwhile, place the brovada in a separate saucepan, cover with water, and simmer for twenty minutes.
- 5
Drain the cooked brovada thoroughly and stir it into the main bean and potato pot.
- 6
Crush half of the potatoes and beans against the pot side using a potato masher to thicken the broth.
- 7
Melt the lard in a small frying pan over gentle heat and sauté the minced garlic until fragrant.
- 8
Whisk the flour into the lard to form a pale golden paste for one minute.
- 9
Ladle some hot soup broth into the flour paste, stir until smooth, then pour back into the pot.
- 10
Stir in the crushed caraway seeds, salt and black pepper.
- 11
Simmer the soup on low heat for fifteen minutes, stirring frequently so the base does not catch.
- 12
Remove the bay leaves and allow the soup to settle for ten minutes before serving.
Chef's tips
Jota tastes even better on the second day after the flavours meld and the turnip acidity balances. Boiling the brovada separately first softens its sharper vinegar edge and prevents the acidic liquid from keeping the potatoes tough.
Ingredient substitutions
- brovada → traditional sauerkraut (kislo zelje), which creates the classic Trieste town version
- lard → extra virgin olive oil, for a lighter finish
- smoked pork ribs → smoked pancetta or regional smoked pork sausage (klobasa)
Storage
Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a covered pot over medium-low heat, stirring in a splash of water if overly thick.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Cooking raw sour turnips directly with raw beans, which prevents the beans from softening properly.
- •Skipping the potato-mashing step, leaving the broth watery rather than velvety and dense.
- •Adding too much salt at the beginning before the smoked pork releases its natural cure.
Serving suggestions
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