Sup Brenebon - Manadonese Red Kidney Bean Soup

Can you believe that I made this dish in a microwave. Our AC didn't work (and still doesn't, the maintenance guy is still on holiday), in order to reduce the heat, I made the soup with microwave. It was really hot here. About 32 �C with the humidex feel like 40 �C.

Since this dish came from North Sulawesi (Manado), an ethnic group of Indonesia that has a large Christian population, the soup traditionally uses pork bones. For you who don't consume pork, you may substitute for beef ribs or marrow or oxtail.

My husband is a pesco vegetarian, so I made the soup into vegetarian version. Just a little bit background about pesco vegetarian. Pesco-vegetarianism, also called pescetarianism, is the practice of a diet that includes seafood and excludes other animals. In addition to fish and/or shellfish, a pescetarian diet typically includes some or all of vegetables, fruit, nuts, grains, beans, eggs and dairy.

In the original recipe, it didn't add any mushroom or mushroom broth. It was just my idea to substitute the meat and meat based broth.

As updated on August 15, 2010, I added the method for making this soup with the meat based broth.

Sup Brenebon
- Manadonese Red Kidney Bean Soup -
recipe by Ikaray, modified and translated by me

Ingredients:
150 g red kidney beans (I added more beans about 300 g), soak in water for 3 hours
1.5 L water, for cooking the beans
500 g pork hocks (substitute these for beef ribs, marrow or oxtail if you don't eat pork. I myself used 250 g cubed king oyster mushroom)
1.5 L homemade veggies and shittake mushroom broth (If you are going to use beef or pork, use 1.5 L water)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 nutmeg, grated (can be used 2 tsp ground nutmeg)
6 cloves
1 tsp margarine (I used unsalted butter)
2 green onions, finely sliced
fried shallot, for garnish

Methods:
For Vegetarian Version:
1. Boil red kidney beans in 1.5 L water until tender but not mushy. It will be faster if you use a pressure cooker. Drain the cooked beans.

2. In a pot, add the mushroom broth and cooked beans; bring to a boil.

3. Meanwhile stir fry onion and garlic in butter. Add chopped king oyster mushroom, nutmeg, and ground white pepper, then continue sauteing until the mushroom tender.

4. Transfer the sauteing mixture to the pot. Add cloves, stir. Taste the soup and add sea salt as you need. Simmer for the next 15 minutes. Ready to serve and garnish with green onions and fried shallot.

For the beef/pork version:
1. Prepare two pots. In pot 1, cook soaked red kidney beans with 1.5 L water until tender but not mushy. In pot 2, make meat based broth by boiling beef/pork with another 1.5 L water. After the pot 2 is boiling, simmer for next 10 minutes and remove from heat.

2. After the beans are tender, transfer to pot 2. Start pot 2 to simmer again while you are stir frying onion and garlic in butter. Add nutmeg, and ground white pepper.

3. Transfer the sauteing mixture to the pot. Add cloves, stir. Taste the soup and add sea salt as you need. Simmer for the next 15 minutes. Ready to serve and garnish with green onions and fried shallot.

Cook's Note:
I have changed the direction of cooking as well since I didn't use any beef or pork products.