Navy Bean Soup
This recipe guides you in making a comforting Navy Bean Soup. Dried navy beans are quickly soaked and then simmered with smoked ham hocks, aromatics, and carrots. A portion of the soup is pureed for thickness before the shredded hock meat is returned. The soup is then seasoned and served with a pat of butter.
Equipment
- 1 Large Saucepan For initial bean soak
- 1 Large Heavy Pot or Dutch Oven For simmering soup
- 1 Blender (Standard or Immersion)
- 1 Kitchen Twine For herb bundle
- 1 Colander or Fine-Mesh Sieve For draining beans
Ingredients
Main
- 1 pound navy beans picked over, rinsed and drained
- 10 sprigs parsley
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 large smoked ham hocks about 1 1/2 pounds
- 1 medium onion coarsely chopped
- 1 clove garlic coarsely chopped
- 8 cups of cold water
- 1 medium carrot coarsely chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Butter for garnish
Instructions
- Place the beans in a large saucepan and cover with cold water by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes; remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for one hour. Drain and reserve. Tie the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf together with kitchen twine.
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven combine the beans, herb bundle, hocks, onions, and garlic with the water. Bring to a boil, cover, and adjust the heat so the soup cooks at a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring in the carrots after 1 hour, until the beans and hock are completely tender, about 1 1/2 hours total.
- Turn off the heat and remove the hocks. Cool slightly. Remove the meat from the hocks, discarding the bones, fat, and skin. Cut the meat into small cubes. Remove the herb bundle and discard.
- Puree about 3 cups of the beans with a some of the liquid in a blender. (For a smoother soup, puree all the beans.) Stir the puree and diced meat into the soup. Heat the soup and adjust the seasoning as needed with salt and pepper.
- Pour into heated bowls, place a small pat of butter on top of each soup, and serve.
Notes
1. Ensure beans are truly tender before pureeing; undercooked beans will result in a grainy texture. 2. Add salt only after the ham hocks have cooked and been removed, as they impart significant salinity. Taste and adjust carefully. 3. For varying textures, you can control how much soup is pureed. An immersion blender can be used directly in the pot for easier cleanup. 4. Take care to remove all bones, skin, and excess fat from the ham hocks before adding the meat back. 5. The butter pat garnish adds richness, but consider a drizzle of good olive oil, fresh chopped parsley, or even crispy bacon bits for alternative finishing touches.