🥣 Bean and Ham Hock Soup
Bean and ham hock soup is a classic, hearty comfort dish—thick, smoky, and packed with slow-cooked flavor. The ham hock gives the broth depth, while the beans make it rich and filling.
🫘 Ingredients
- 1 smoked ham hock (or pork knuckle)
- 1½ cups dried white beans (navy, cannellini, or great northern)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped (optional but traditional)
- 3–4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp black pepper
- Salt (add at the end)
- 6–8 cups water or chicken stock
- Optional: thyme or parsley for extra flavor
🍲 Instructions
1. Soak the beans
- Soak dried beans overnight in water
- Drain before cooking (helps them cook evenly)
2. Build the base
- In a large pot, add ham hock, beans, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaf, and pepper
- Pour in water or stock
3. Slow cook
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat
- Simmer gently for 1.5–2.5 hours
- Stir occasionally and skim foam if needed
4. Shred the meat
- When ham is tender, remove hock
- Shred meat off the bone and return it to the pot
- Discard bone and excess fat
5. Final seasoning
- Add salt only at the end (ham is already salty)
- Adjust thickness by mashing some beans if you like a creamier soup
🍽️ How it tastes
- Smoky from the ham hock
- Creamy from the slow-cooked beans
- Savory, rich, and deeply comforting
🔥 Tips
- Low and slow cooking is key for flavor
- For extra richness, sauté vegetables before adding liquid
- Tastes even better the next day
🥖 Serving ideas
- With crusty bread
- With rice
- Or simply as a one-pot meal
If you want, I can also make a pressure cooker (quick version), a spicy version, or a no-ham vegetarian bean soup that still tastes smoky.