Name: Smoky White Bean and Ham Soup
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American, Southern
Ingredients: 1 pound dried white navy beans or Great Northern beans, rinsed and checked for stones; 6 cups water; 4 cups chicken stock; 2 bay leaves; 1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered, plus ½ cup minced (you'll need 2 onions); 2 pounds smoked ham hocks; 2 carrots, diced; 2 celery stalks, diced; 1 (14 oz) can chopped or diced tomatoes; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves; Salt; 1½ cups chopped kale or other dark leafy greens; Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving (optional); Finely grated pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano, for serving

Smoky White Bean and Ham Soup

Adapted from How to Cook: Building Blocks and 100 Simple Recipes for a Lifetime of Meals by Hugh Acheson

This Southern-style smoky white bean and ham soup adapted from chef Hugh Acheson is hearty and comforting.

Servings: 8 servings

Cook Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

Total Time: 2 Hours, plus plus 1 hour to soak the beans

Ingredients

1 pound dried white navy beans or Great Northern beans, rinsed and checked for stones
6 cups water
4 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered, plus ½ cup minced (you'll need 2 onions)
2 pounds smoked ham hocks
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 (14 oz) can chopped or diced tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Salt
1½ cups chopped kale or other dark leafy greens
Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving (optional)
Finely grated pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano, for serving

Instructions

Quick-soak the beans: Place the beans in a medium pot and cover with 2 to 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat and let sit for 1 hour. Drain in a colander.
Place the drained beans into a 5.5-quart Dutch oven or large pot. Add the water, chicken stock, bay leaves, quartered onion, and ham hocks. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and simmer over low heat until the beans are just tender, about 1 hour (depending on the size of the beans, it could take a bit longer).
Once the beans are tender, pull out the bay leaves, onion remnants, and ham hocks. Discard the bay leaves and onions, but set the ham hocks aside to cool.
Add the minced onion, carrots, celery, tomatoes, garlic, thyme, and 2 teaspoons of salt to the pot. Increase the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes. While the soup is cooking, and when the ham hocks are cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the hocks, discard any bone, fat, and tough sinew, and chop the meat finely.
Use a ladle to transfer about 2 cups of the beans and vegetables, along with a bit of broth, to a blender or food processor. (If using a blender, be sure to remove the center knob on the lid and cover with a dishtowel to avoid splatters.) Purée until smooth, and then stir the mixture back into the soup. Add the meat and kale to the soup and simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes more. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, if necessary (I usually add about 1 teaspoon more; beans require a lot of salt to bring out their flavor). At this point, you can serve the soup or refrigerate it for up to 3 days. (It will thicken up in the fridge; thin it with a bit of water, if necessary.)
When you're ready to eat, garnish each bowl with a drizzle with olive oil (if using) and a heap of grated cheese.
Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. through.

Pair with

Southern-Style Buttermilk Biscuits

Nutrition Information

Per serving (Nutritional data is based on 2 tsp salt and does not include oil and cheese - 8 servings)
Calories: 468
Fat: 14g
Saturated fat: 4g
Carbohydrates: 46g
Sugar: 7g
Fiber: 11g
Protein: 41g
Sodium: 1326mg
Cholesterol: 73mg