White Bean Ham Hock Soup (Printer View)

Tender white beans cooked with smoky ham hock, vegetables, and herbs for a savory, comforting dish.

# Components:

→ 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 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 - 1/2 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

# Method:

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.
03 - Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
04 - Remove the ham hock, let it cool slightly, then shred the meat while discarding skin and bone. Return 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 - Remove bay leaves and taste the soup. Season with salt as needed, keeping in mind the ham hock will contribute saltiness.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • One ham hock does the heavy lifting, making this soup feel restaurant-quality with almost no fuss.
  • The beans absorb all that smoky flavor and become so tender they practically melt on your tongue.
  • It's the kind of soup that tastes even better the next day, and freezes beautifully for those nights when cooking feels impossible.
02 -
  • If you forget to soak your beans overnight, use the quick-soak method: bring them to a boil, turn off the heat, cover, and let them sit for an hour—it works almost as well and has saved me more than once.
  • Don't skip tasting before adding salt; I learned this the hard way by oversalting a pot meant to feed eight people, and it was a humbling moment.
03 -
  • Buy your ham hock from the butcher counter rather than the packaged section—they're fresher and usually cheaper, and the butcher can tell you exactly how meaty it is.
  • If you're making this for someone with dietary restrictions, it's naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, which makes it easy to serve to a mixed table without fuss.
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