White Bean Soup with Ham

Dreamgoddess's Note:

Simple, cheap, hearty and delicious. From Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything." I love cause there's no need to presoak the beans.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 1 lb smoked ham hock, about
• 3 cups dried small white beans, rinsed and picked over
• 12 cups chicken stock or 12 cups beef stock or 12 cups vegetable stock or 12 cups water
• 2 medium onions, quartered
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Put smoked ham hock, beans, and liquid together in large saucepan.
2. Turn heat on to medium high.
3. Add onions.
4. Bring mixture to a boil.
5. Turn heat down to medium low and cover with tilted lid to only cover partially.
6. Cook, stirring occasionally until beans are very soft and meat is falling apart at least one hour.
7. Turn off heat.
8. Remove meat and chop it up if desired and return to pot.
9. Serve with cornbread.
10. Yummy!

Reviews

[tamalita62]

Delicious! I used 1 small onion, chopped fine. Wonderful! thank you.

[Laura Crozier Chef #160295]

Multiplied the recipe 20 times (!) because I work in an industrial kitchen, it was fabulous! VERY simple, and inexpensive. I made 4 additions: sauteed the onions in butter before adding broth; chopped up some celery and sauteed with the onions, added a few bay leaves and some thyme during the simmering. I also soaked the beans previous to cooking. Otherwise, used the ratios exactly according to recipe and it was delicious! Thanks for sharing, it was my first time ever making this type of soup. Everyone loved it.

[Chef on the coast]

I am giving this five stars because it is really hard to make this type of recipe flavorful and your recipe is able to accomplish that with few ingredients! I used 12 cups beef stock. Instead of quartering the onions - I simply diced them. Thanks for a hearty winter-type easy recipe! Made for the September 2010 Aussie/NZ recipe swap.