White Bean Ham Hock (Printable Version)

A hearty mix of white beans, smoked ham hock, aromatic vegetables, and herbs creating a comforting dish.

# What You Need:

→ 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 - 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 - 0.5 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

# Step-by-Step:

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 all ingredients evenly.
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 from the pot and let it cool slightly. Shred the meat, discarding skin and bone. Return the shredded meat to the pot.
05 - Continue simmering uncovered for 30 minutes until the beans are tender and the soup has thickened slightly. Add more broth or water if needed to achieve desired consistency.
06 - Taste and season with salt as needed, keeping in mind that the ham hock will contribute saltiness. Remove bay leaves. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with chopped parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It fills your kitchen with a smell so good you'll want to keep the pot simmering all day.
  • One ham hock does all the heavy lifting—your hands barely touch it after setup.
  • Tender beans and shredded meat make every spoonful taste like comfort without any fuss.
  • Naturally gluten-free and freezes beautifully, so winter cooking becomes easier next month.
02 -
  • Don't skip soaking the beans overnight—it changes everything about how they cook and breaks down compounds that cause digestive upset.
  • Taste before you salt; that ham hock gives more than you'd expect, and over-salting is easier than fixing it later.
  • If your soup looks too thin after 2.5 hours, it means your beans were older or your heat was too high; mashing some beans against the pot's side creates instant creaminess.
03 -
  • Toast the dried thyme in a dry skillet for 30 seconds before adding it to deepen its flavor and make it sing.
  • If you can't find a ham hock, a hambone or smoked turkey leg works beautifully and cooks the same way.
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