Soup Beans
intro
Hearty, slow-simmered pinto beans with smoky pork, a beloved Appalachian American comfort staple perfect paired with warm, buttery cornbread.
Ingredients
Steps
First, sort 450g dried pinto beans on a rimmed baking sheet, picking out any small rocks, shriveled beans, or debris, then rinse beans under cool running water. Transfer rinsed beans to a 5-liter heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, pour in 1.9 liters cold water, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat (8-10 minutes). Once boiling, turn off heat, cover tightly, and let beans quick-soak for 1 hour.
After the 1-hour quick soak, drain the soaked beans thoroughly in a colander and return them to the Dutch oven. Add the 225g smoked pork hock, 150g diced yellow onion, 15g minced garlic, and 1 dried bay leaf. Pour in fresh cold water to cover all ingredients by 2.5cm (1 inch), approximately 1 liter. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat (5-7 minutes), then immediately reduce heat to low to maintain a soft, steady bubble (avoid hard rolling boils).
Keep heat set to low for the duration of cooking. Cover the Dutch oven with the lid slightly ajar (a 1cm gap to vent steam and prevent boil-overs) and let beans simmer for 1 hour, stirring gently with a wooden spoon every 20 minutes to prevent beans from sticking to the pot bottom. Top up with 120ml (1/2 cup) hot water if beans become exposed above the liquid surface at any point.
After 1 hour of simmering, use tongs to remove the smoked pork hock to a cutting board, and fish out the bay leaf with a spoon to discard. Let the pork hock cool for 5 minutes until safe to handle, then pull all tender meat and soft fat from the bone, discarding the bone, tough rind, and hard gristle. Chop the pulled pork into 1cm (1/2 inch) pieces and stir them back into the pot of beans.
Stir in 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt and 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper, then continue simmering the beans uncovered on low heat for 30-40 minutes, until beans are completely tender (a bean squishes easily with no firm core when pressed between thumb and forefinger) and the cooking liquid has thickened to a light, brothy consistency.
Turn off the stovetop heat, stir in 1 tablespoon (15ml) apple cider vinegar, and taste to adjust salt or pepper if needed. Let the beans rest for 10 minutes off heat to allow flavors to meld before serving.
Tips
2.Keep the cooking liquid at a gentle low simmer rather than a hard rolling boil; boiling causes beans to split, turn mushy on the outside, and remain hard in the center.
3.For a vegetarian version, swap the smoked pork hock for 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and 2 tablespoons olive oil, using vegetable broth instead of water for rich, savory depth.
Game changer! I brought these soup beans to our neighborhood potluck last weekend and every single person asked for the recipe. I used a ham hock I had stashed in the freezer like my grandma taught me, slow simmered the whole 3 hours and the flavor was unreal. Only note: I added a tiny pinch of red pepper flakes for a little kick, chef’s kiss.
Super easy recipe that’s perfect for my Sunday meal prep! I portioned this out into 6 containers with a slice of cornbread on the side for work lunches this week, and it reheats like a dream. Only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is I wish it had a little more seasoning depth out the gate, I ended up adding extra black pepper and a splash of apple cider vinegar at the end to brighten it up.
OMG, just finished making this for the first time and wow, the simplicity is what makes it so good! I was worried 3 hours was too long to cook beans but they got so creamy and tender, no mushy texture at all. Served with some fried taters and coleslaw, absolute comfort food perfection.
My kids loved it! I’ve been struggling to find budget-friendly, filling meals that my three picky boys will actually eat without complaining, and this one was a home run. They ate two full bowls each and asked if we could have it again next week. Total win for this tired mom!
First time ever cooking dried beans from scratch and I was so nervous I’d mess them up! This recipe was so straightforward, I didn’t even have to soak the beans overnight like I thought I would. The only issue I had was my beans were still a little crunchy after 3 hours on low simmer, I had to leave them on another 45 minutes. Any idea what I did wrong?
I make a version of these every winter but I never thought to add the bay leaf and thyme like this recipe calls for. That little addition made such a huge difference, the depth of flavor was next level. I served this with a big slice of buttered cornbread and some chow chow on top, just like how we ate it growing up in the mountains.
SO good. I was a little skeptical that a recipe with so few ingredients could taste that good, but the long slow cook time really lets all the flavors meld together. I used a leftover smoked turkey leg instead of ham hock because that’s what I had in the fridge, and it gave the beans the most amazing smoky flavor. Will absolutely be adding this to my regular cold weather rotation.