Step 1

Place pork hock in large bowl and pour boiling water over the hock, drain and set aside

Step 2

In a large pot, add oil and cook the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, or until onion is transparent.

Step 3

Add all other vegetables to the pot and cook for a further 5 minutes or so, until slightly softened. Stir in the tomato paste.

Step 4

In a separate frying pan, add fennel seeds and on low heat dry fry them for about 5 minutes. Do not let them burn.

Step 5

Add pork hock, fennel seeds, chilli and stock to pot and bring up to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow soup to cook for about 2 – 2 1/2 hours. Top up with more stock or water as needed but not so much to dilute the flavour of the soup.

Step 6

When pork hock meat is very tender, remove hock from pot, remove the meat from the pot and shred into large chunks. Return the meat to the pot with the beans and season with salt and more chilli if desired. Serve with crusty bread.