DEEP-FRIED PORK CHOPS AND QUICK VEGETABLE SOUP

Deep-Fried Pork Chops and Quick Vegetable Soup image

Yield serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 21

Vegetable soup
3 tablespoons butter
2 leeks, white and light-green parts, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 cups Chicken Stock (page 28)
One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 large white potato, cubed
1 cup frozen lima beans
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
5 ounces fresh green beans, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Pork chops
Peanut oil, for deep-frying
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Four 1 inch thick bone in center cut pork chops

Steps:

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks, celery, and carrots, and cook, stirring, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, and continue to cook, stirring, until the flour reaches a light blond color. Add the tomato paste, and cook for another minute. Add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add the diced tomatoes and the potato, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the potato is cooked through, about 20 minutes. The soup can be made up to 1 day in advance.
While the soup is simmering, heat 2 inches of peanut oil in a large Dutch oven to 325°F. Place the flour in a large casserole dish, and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the chops in the flour mixture, patting off the excess. Place the chops, two at a time, in the hot oil, and fry until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer the cooked chops to a paper towel lined baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining chops.
Add the cooked chops to the soup and simmer over medium-low heat for another 30 minutes, or until the meat from the chops falls off the bone. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the lima beans, peas, corn, and green beans. To serve, ladle the soup into wide, shallow bowls, and garnish with the parsley.