Ham Hock & Bean Soup 

Ham Hock & Bean Soup 

Serves 6-8 people 

Prep time 15 minutes 

Cook time 4+ hours 

Ham Stock

2-4 smoked ham hocks, or leftover ham bone from a bone-in ham* 

3 celery ribs 

2 bay leaves 

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper 

1 large onion, quartered

3 carrots, skin on 

10-12 cups water 

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

Soup

2-4 slices thick cut bacon 

1 teaspoon olive oil 

3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced

3-4 celery ribs, diced 

1 large onion, diced 

1/2 cup chopped parsley 

8-10 cups ham stock (can be substituted with boxed low sodium chicken stock) 

2-3 parmesan rinds 

1 1/2 cups dry lima beans (prep beans in advance) ** 

1 1/2 cups dry small white beans (prep beans in advance) ** 

1/2 cup dry split peas

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 

1 teaspoon onion powder 

Kosher salt and pepper to taste 

Reserved meat from the ham hocks or ham bone 

Start by preparing the ham stock. Put all ham stock ingredients into an oven-safe baking vessel with a lid. I used an enamel-covered cast iron pot. Bake in a preheated 275-degree F oven 4-6 hours. The ham should fall off the bone. Remove from oven and strain the stock. Pick the meat from the bones and reserve. Discard or compost the removed vegetables. 

Next: the soup. Sauté the chopped bacon in olive oil over medium heat until crisp and lightly browned. Add the vegetables and cook 3-4 minutes. Cover with the ham stock, parmesan rinds, and split peas. Add the drained, cooked lima and white beans. Season with garlic and onion powder. Generously season with salt and pepper. Add the reserved meat back into the soup. Simmer until thickened and reduced. Be sure there is no bite to any of the legumes. I simmered my soup roughly 1 1/2-2 hours. Serve with fresh herbs and a swirl of grassy olive oil.

*Any ham bones work well if smoked hocks are not available.  

 **Use the quick soak method, overnight soak, or instant pot method for cooking your dry beans. I chose the instant pot method. I double covered the beans with water and set the IP to 30 minutes on the bean/chili setting.