Instant Pot Pork Hock Soup (From Fresh Hocks)
This super affordable, nourishing soup is made with fresh pork hocks and simple staple vegetables for a truly cozy, from-scratch meal. Rich in collagen and slow-cooked flavor, it’s the perfect way to embrace nose-to-tail eating and stretch your grocery budget without sacrificing nutrition.
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 or 2 fresh pork hocks
- 1 bay leaf optional
- 8 cups water filtered
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 carrots
- 1 cup chopped rutabaga
- 2 potatoes
- 1 tbsp butter or ghee, or tallow
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp dry thyme
- ½ tsp mustard powder optional
Instructions
- Place your raw pork hock(s) in the Instant Pot. Add about 8 cups of filtered water and one or two bay leaves, if using. Secure the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 1 hour.
- While the pork hock cooks, prepare the vegetables. Peel and wash them, then finely slice the onion, mince the garlic, slice the carrots, and chop the potatoes and rutabaga into large chunks. This is a rustic soup, so the vegetables don’t need to be cut small or perfectly uniform.
- When the cooking cycle ends, allow the pressure to naturally release for about 10 minutes, then carefully release any remaining pressure and open the lid. Transfer the hock to a cutting board and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Strain the cooking liquid and reserve it. This collagen-rich meat broth will form the flavorful base of your soup.
- Once the hock is cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to remove the meat from the bone and cut it into bite-size pieces. If you prefer not to use all of the fatty skin, you can reserve it for a future batch of bone broth or another recipe.
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode and melt the butter. Add the onions and sauté until soft and fragrant.
- Add the garlic, prepared vegetables, and chopped pork. Stir well to combine.
- Pour in the reserved broth and add the seasonings. Stir, then let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender to your liking, stirring occasionally.
- aste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve warm, garnished with freshly chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
Use fresh, raw pork hocks for this recipe, not smoked or pre-cooked. You can use one or two hocks, depending on their size and how meaty you want your soup to be. Keep in mind that most of a pork hock’s weight comes from bone, skin, and connective tissue, which is exactly what makes this soup so rich and nourishing.
Feel free to swap or adjust the vegetables and aromatics based on what you enjoy or already have on hand. This is a flexible, rustic soup meant to work with your pantry.
Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. As it cools, the broth will naturally gel, a sign of a gelatin-rich, collagen-packed soup. It will return to a liquid state once gently reheated.