Navy Bean and Ham Hock Soup
Description
This delicious ham hock soup with navy beans is easy to make and loaded with flavor. It’s an economical one-pot meal that'll warm you up on a cold night!
Ingredients
•
1 pound dried navy beans
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12 cups water, divided
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2 1/2 pounds smoked ham hocks
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1 (32 ounce) carton low-sodium chicken broth (such as Swanson® Natural Goodness®)
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1 cup chopped onion
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1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
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1 teaspoon garlic powder
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1 teaspoon dried basil
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1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
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1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
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1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
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3 bay leaves
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2 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrots
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1 cup chopped celery
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3/4 cup mashed potato flakes
Directions
1
Place navy beans into a Dutch oven with 8 cups water; bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Cover and let stand until beans are softened, about 5 hours.
2
Drain beans and discard soaking liquid. Rinse beans and return to the Dutch oven. Add ham hocks, chicken broth, remaining 4 cups water, onion, parsley, garlic powder, basil, black pepper, oregano, nutmeg, and bay leaves. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
3
Stir carrots, celery, and potato flakes into soup until well combined. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes more.
4
Transfer ham hocks to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from the bones and cut into bite-sized pieces. Return meat to the pot and warm through over medium heat, about 3 minutes.