Hearty Southern soup with tender white beans, smoky ham hock, vegetables, and herbs for a warming meal.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 large smoked ham hock, approximately 1 to 1.5 pounds
→ Beans
02 - 1 pound dried great northern or cannellini beans, soaked overnight and drained
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
→ Herbs and Seasonings
07 - 2 bay leaves
08 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
09 - 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 - 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika, optional
11 - Salt to taste
→ Liquids
12 - 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
→ Finishing
13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish
# Directions:
01 - In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, combine the soaked and drained beans, ham hock, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, black pepper, and smoked paprika.
02 - Pour in the chicken broth and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat.
03 - Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
04 - Remove the ham hock from the pot and let it cool slightly. Shred the meat, discarding skin and bone, then return the shredded meat to the pot.
05 - Continue simmering uncovered for 30 minutes until the beans are tender and the soup has thickened slightly. Add additional broth or water if needed.
06 - Taste the soup and season with salt as needed, keeping in mind that the ham hock will have already added saltiness.
07 - Remove bay leaves, ladle soup into bowls, and garnish each serving with chopped fresh parsley.
