Heartwarming White Bean and Smoked Ham Soup
This heartwarming soup is a mouthful of enticing flavors, from the punch of woody thyme to earthy bay leaves to the smokiness of hickory ham and salty pork hocks, all juxtaposed by creamy cannellini beans and hearty mirepoix. And with the long stewing time, this soup releases a robust aroma that fills the house with the tell-tell smells of fall and winter harvests. Plus, the slow cooking yields a full-bodied broth that is soothing from the release of the herbs, the infusion of the ham hock, and the enhancement of olive oil. An excellent source of vitamin A and packed with 25 g. of protein, this is a nutritious feast that’s also rich in flavor, with only 7.5 g sugar per serving. And consume one helping of this filling soup and you’ve met the average daily fiber intake for adults, 17 grams. Who knew nutrition could be so gluttonous!
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight
- I large yellow onion
- 5 large carrots
- 3 large celery stalks
- 1 large Yukon potato
- 2 cups hickory-smoked ham
- 1 ½ lb. fully cooked, smoked pork hock
- 10 cups vegetable broth*
- 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 T. fresh thyme
- 3-4 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- *Try my Better than Boxed Vegetable Broth under Soups!
Directions
- Step 1 First, soak the beans. Fill the beans in a pot and cover with 2-3” of water. Let soak overnight, and the next day, drain off the water.
- Step 2 The day of, remove the skin off the onion and cut in eights. Toss them in a food processor, if you have the luxury of one, and pulse until diced. Scrape the contents in a large mixing bowl. Next, wash the celery and cut in chunks, adding to the food processor and pulsing until diced. Incorporate with the onion in the mixing bowl. Then, wash the carrots and chop into segments, adding to the food processor, and pulsing until diced. Fold in with the celery and onion in the mixing bowl. Also, wash the potato and cut in chunks, pulsing it in the food processor. Separate into its own mixing bowl. Last, mince the garlic and pluck the leaves off the thyme and toss in their own mixing bowl. Note: if you don’t have a food processor, just chop by hand.
- Step 3 Sauté the veggies. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes or until oil is glistening. Add the contents of the mixing bowl (i.e., the onion, carrots, celery) to the pot and sauté for 8 minutes. Then, mix in the garlic and thyme and continue cooking for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Step 4 Cook the soup. Pour the vegetable broth into a 7-8-qt stockpot and turn up to high heat. Fold in the cannellini beans, sautéed veggies, potatoes, pork hock, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. While waiting for the soup to boil, dice the ham and toss 1 cup of it into the soup. Let the soup simmer for about 45-50 minutes or until the beans are cooked. But be sure to stir occasionally during the cooking time, so the contents don’t stick to the bottom. Remove from heat after the beans are cooked and add the remaining 1 cup of ham. Serve when hot.
This heartwarming soup is exceptionally rich in flavor but nutritiously high in protein, as it derives its body from the stewing of cannellini beans, smoked pork hocks, earthy herbs, and hearty mirepoix. Its aroma will fill your home and whet your family’s appetite, ushering in the smells of fall and winter harvests.
Nutritional Information: serving size: 679 g or 2.8 cups, servings per recipe: 6, calories: 386, total fat: 6.72 g., saturated fat: 1.36 g., cholesterol: 11 g., sodium: 2057 mg., total carbohydrate: 58.65 g., dietary fiber: 15.3 g., total sugars: 6.2 g., protein: 25.42 g., calcium: 162 mg., iron: 4.66 mg., potassium: 1177 mg., magnesium: 112 mg., vitamin D: 2 IU, vitamin C: 15.3 mg., vitamin B-1: 0.56 mg., folate: 212 µg.