Ingredients
- 1 pound dried small white beans, rinsed and picked over for stones
- 12 cups water
- 1 ham hock
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup shopped carrot
- 1 potato, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
Directions
To soak beans: In a large bowl, cover beans with water by 2 inches and let soak for 8-10 hours (overnight) and drain. Alternatively, place beans in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and tightly cover pan with plastic wrap. Let sit for an hour.
In a large heavy pot, combine beans with ham hock, bay leaf and 12 cups of water. Bring to boil and reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until beans are just tender. Stir in onion, celery, carrot, potato and garlic. Simmer for another hour or until soup is very thick. Remove ham hock and strip off meat from bone, discarding the rind and fat. Stir meat into soup and season with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley and serve hot.
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By curlymo68_11719240
Raleigh, NC
on January 02, 2012
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One of my favorite soups!!! Absolutely delicious...I "mash" my beans toward the end of the cooking process and it makes the soup VERY thick. I also add a final ingredient: about a teaspoonful of ground cloves...YUM!
By Meldar the Magn...
Seattle, WA
on May 23, 2011
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This is a good basic recipe, but you can alter it as you see fit. I used a large bone with plenty of meat attached to it from the leftovers of an Easter ham, so I increased all the other ingredients accordingly. It was so flavorful I did not need to use broth instead of water, and it needed no salt. It came out very thick by the time the beans were done, but it took a long time. I used small mixed beans and a combination of red and white onions. Besides the garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, bay leaves, and ground black pepper, I also added dried thyme, toasted caraway seeds, red pepper flakes, and fresh rosemary. I just kept throwing in things I had on hand, to taste, as it cooked. It's a very adaptable recipe, but I think you do need more than one ham hock for the desired meaty flavor.
By cjcran
on March 05, 2011
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My husband & I love ham & bean soup and this recipe filled the bill. I used 6 cups of chicken broth and 6 cups of water, an extra ham hock and eliminated the potatoes. I also added extra ham.
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