(WHOLE30, GLUTEN FREE, DAIRY FREE, PALEO)

There’s nothing better than a warm bowl of soup on a crisp fall or cold winter day.  Living in Maine, we have a quite of few of those around here.  If it were up to me, I’d make soup every single night during these colder months.  This Whole30 Vegetable Pork Soup is hearty and flavorful.  It will warm you right up!  I used a secret little ingredient in this soup which adds a ton of flavor.  Tart cherry juice (in place of red wine) makes this soup incredibly rich.  The soup can be made in either a pressure cooker or slow cooker.  Easy peasy!

PRESSURE COOKER METHOD

I have included directions below for both the pressure cooker and the slow cooker.  To make this in a pressure cooker, add olive oil, pork and onion to the pot.  Next, sauté for about 5 minutes or until pork has started to get brown and crispy on the outside.  Press cancel.  Then, add the remaining ingredients and pressure cook on high for 30 minutes.  After a 15 minute natural release, release the remaining pressure.  Lastly, remove the bay leaf, shred the pork with two forks and garnish with basil if desired.  Carefully ladle into bowls and enjoy!

SLOW COOKER METHOD

To make this in the slow cooker, first add the olive oil, pork and onion to a large skillet on the stovetop.  Over medium heat, sear for 2 minutes on each side.  This allows the pork to get some nice flavor and color.  Next, transfer the pork and onions to the slow cooker and add remaining ingredients.  Cook for 4-5 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low.  The soup is ready when the pork is very tender and the vegetables are soft.  Finally, remove the bay leaf, shred pork with two forks, ladle into bowls, and garnish with basil.

Recipes that are both healthy and delicious are my favorite – the best of both worlds!  This Whole30 Vegetable Pork Soup is incredibly rich and flavorful but it’s packed with nutrients.  Additionally, it’s very filling.  A little bit goes a long way. Check out this Whole30 Creamy Chicken Soup and Whole30 Zuppa Toscana for more ideas!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time:  35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Course: Lunch, Dinner
Servings: 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

3 lbs pork shoulder
3 cups red potatoes, halved
5-6 large carrots, chopped
2 TBL olive oil
1/2 large onion, cut up
1 cup green beans, chopped
2 tsp garlic
2 cups beef broth
1 cup tart cherry juice
1 tsp ground pepper
2 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
Basil, for garnish

Directions:

PRESSURE COOKER METHOD:

Set pressure cooker to sauté mode.  Add olive oil, pork and onion.  Sauté about 5 minutes, until pork has browned.  Press cancel.

Set to pressure cook function and add remaining ingredients.  Pressure cook for 30 minutes.

Let naturally release for 15 minutes then carefully turn the valve on top to Vent.  Allow the rest of the pressure to release.

Remove the bay leaf.  Shred pork with two forks.  Then carefully ladle soup into bowls.  Lastly, garnish with basil if desired.

SLOW COOKER METHOD:

In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, pork and onion.  Sear pork on both sides, about 2 minutes each side.

Transfer pork and onion to slow cooker.  Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker.

Cook on low 6-7 hours or on high 4-5 hours.

Remove the bay leaf.  Shred pork with two forks.  Then carefully ladle soup into bowls.  Finally, garnish with basil if desired.