Ham Bone, Greens & Bean Soup

Ham Bone, Greens & Bean Soup

What you'll need

  • 1 cup dried pinto beans
  • 4 strips bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 stalks celery, trimmed and diced
  • 1 large onion, peeled and diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 pound ham hock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 1/2 teaspons salt
  • 1 head green cabbage, shredded
  • 1 bunch kale

Nourishing, hearty, healthy and hammy

Serves: 6-8

Cooking time: 2 hours

  1. Presoak the beans overnight or quick soak: bring beans to boil in large pot with plenty of water. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and let beans stand for 1 hour. Drain.
  2. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels and reserve for serving. Spoon off some of the bacon fat from the pot but leave 1-2 tablespoons in the pot. 
  3. Continuing at medium heat, add the carrots, celery, and onion to the bacon fat. Cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
  4. Drop in the ham hock and bay leaf and add 8 cups of water and 2 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; add the beans, reduce to medium low and simmer 30 minutes. Add the cabbage and simmer another 30 minutes. Remove the ham hock and remove any good meaty pieces, dice, and add them back to the soup (toss the bones and fatty bits). Stir in the kale and simmer until the kale is soft but still bright green, about 15 minutes. 
  5. Season with pepper/hot sauce/cider vinegar or whatever to taste and ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with reserved bacon.

Submitted by: Liz

Thanks to: Melissa Clark, Cook This Now