Ingredients
- 1 pound black beans, picked over, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or oil
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 2 large smoked ham hocks, about 1-1/2 pounds
- 9 cups water or homemade chicken stock
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup dry sherry
- Optional serving garnishes: Sour cream or creme fraiche, finely chopped hard cooked egg, or 1 minced scallion
Directions
Put the beans in a large saucepan and cover with cold water by 2-inches. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes; remove from the heat, cover and set aside for 1 hour. Drain and reserve.
In a large soup pot heat the butter or oil over medium heat. Add the onions, celery and carrots, and saute until wilted and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and saute for 3 minutes more. Add the beans, hocks, water or stock, and bring to a simmer. Cover, adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cook until beans and meat are tender, about 1-1/2 hours.
Turn the soup off. Remove the hocks from the soup, set aside to cool. Remove the meat from the hocks, discarding the bones, fat and skin. Cut the meat into small cubes and reserve. Puree the soup, with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender. Simmer the soup with the reserved meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add the sherry. To serve, divide the soup among warmed bowls, and top with one or more of the garnishes, if desired.
Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved
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By birdcarver
on October 15, 2010
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The only changes I would make to this recipe would be to cook
the soup with the ham hocks then remove the hocks and put in
the frig over night. Skim the fat from the soup, reheat adding
some pieces of ham and serve. I think it would be very greasy
if this is not done. I did this and added some cumin and red pepper
and it was great.
By jkrueger09_11302304
Pewaukee, WI
on October 03, 2010
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This was a great basic recipe. I followed the recipe exactly and felt that it needed a bit more seasoning to my taste. I added a 1 Tsp of cumin, 1 TBSP oregano, 1 TBSP cilantro and at the end, I added 1/2 cup of Port wine. Yummy!
By alp5013_9273403
lemont, PA
on January 14, 2010
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I chose this recipe for the overall flavor profile, despite the fact that I'm a vegetarian. In lieu of the ham hock, I added about 1.5 tsp. of "liquid smoke" hickory seasoning. I only added 4 cups of water (in addition to all of the liquid that was in with the soaking beans plus 1 Tbsp. tomato paste, 2 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. sugar, and 1 tsp. crushed red pepper. I didn't have any sherry on hand, so I used some brandy instead.
As directed, I pureed the soup using an immersion blender, but I did leave a few chunks in there. I served it topped with cheese, green onions, sour cream, and hot sauce, and served it with chips.
The result was delicious! Even without the toppings! My non-vegetarian roommates really enjoyed it, and I consider those guys to be the ultimate test.
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