White Bean and Ham Hock Soup
This Flavorful White Bean and Ham Hock Soup is a satisfying and filling meal made with tender ham, canned cannellini beans, vegetables, and smoky ham hocks. Great for cozy fall nights, and works well with leftover ham!
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry white beans, like cannellini or Great Northern
- 2 quarts water
- 3 pound smoked ham shanks or ham hocks
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup diced onions (about 1 small onion)
- 1 cup chopped celery (about 2 to 3 ribs)
- 2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence, or Italian seasoning
- ⅔ cup chopped carrots (about 1 medium carrot)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Tabasco sauce
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
Soak the dry beans:
- Take a pot that is suitable to accommodate the beans, fill it with water and heat until boiling. Once the water reaches boiling point, turn off the heat source, add the beans and let them soak for approximately 2 hours. Afterwards, drain the water.
Simmer the ham:
- Begin by soaking the beans. In a different large pot, arrange the ham shanks or ham hocks and pour 2 quarts of water over them. Improve the taste by incorporating a small amount of either herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning. Heat the pot on high until the water begins to simmer, then reduce the heat, cover partially and continue simmering for approximately 1 hour.
Sauté the onions:
- Begin the process by heating some olive oil in a compact frying pan set over a medium-high flame. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onions and cook until they become translucent, taking about 5 to 6 minutes. Next, incorporate the minced garlic into the pan and cook for an extra minute.
Add vegetables and beans to the ham broth:
- Upon cooking the ham hocks or shanks on low heat for an hour, incorporate the beans that have been drained and soaked in step 1, as well as the onions, garlic, and the cut celery and carrots.
Simmer the soup:
- Continue to cook, uncovered, for approximately 40 more minutes, until the vegetables become tender and the ham meat easily separates from the bones. Subsequently, remove the ham bones from the soup and shred any remaining meat on them, before incorporating the shredded meat back into the soup.
Season to taste:
- To enhance the flavor, include a small amount of Tabasco. Tailor the flavor by adding salt and pepper to your desired taste. Lastly, top it off with a sprinkle of finely chopped parsley as a decorative touch before serving.