15-Bean Soup With Smoked Pork and Greens

⏱ 140 mins 🍽 8-12 serving(s) 🏷 Stew

This robust stew combines a variety of dried beans with smoked pork hock and fresh greens. The beans are simmered until tender with aromatic herbs and spices, then finished with onion, celery, garlic, and smoked paprika. Shredded pork is returned to the pot before a final seasoning of salt, pepper, and white wine vinegar. It yields 8 to 12 servings and requires about 140 minutes to prepare, including bean soaking time.

15-Bean Soup With Smoked Pork and Greens

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces dried beans (such as Hurst's s or just add odds and ends that you have)
  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 lb smoked pork hock
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 lb mixed greens
  • sea salt
  • fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Method

  1. Put the dried bean mix into a large bowl and submerge in water, ensuring it covers the beans by a few inches. Allow them to soak for 8 hours or overnight. Alternatively, cover the beans with water in a pot, bring to a rapid boil for 3 minutes, then cover, remove from the heat, and leave to stand for one hour. Drain and rinse the beans.
  2. Transfer the soaked beans to a large pot or Dutch oven. Add 1 quart of the water, the pork hocks, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, then partially cover the pot. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the beans are just tender, which will take 1 to 1½ hours. If the soup appears too thick, pour in a little more of the remaining water.
  3. Introduce the chopped onion, celery, minced garlic, and smoked paprika to the pot. Stir everything together and continue to simmer gently for a further 15 minutes. Mix in the greens and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.
  4. Switch off the heat. Use tongs or a skimmer to remove the pork hocks from the pot. Also take out and discard the thyme stalks and bay leaves. Let the hocks cool briefly until you can handle them, then pull the meat from the bones. Return the shredded meat to the soup.
  5. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Stir through the white wine vinegar before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sodium20800 mg

Recipe details

CategoryStew
AuthorMotley Oklahoman