This recipe for ham, green bean, and potato soup is a simple, comforting meal that’s perfect for a cold day. It uses a smoked pork product, like a ham shank or ham hock, and other common ingredients to create a hearty and flavorful soup. The total cooking time is about 1 1/2 hours.
Special Equipment:
Medium to Large Dutch Oven
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lbs smoked ham shank, ham hocks, or other smoked pork product
- 4 cups of chicken broth, plus 2 additional cups as needed
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/2 to 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 2-4 Yukon gold potatoes (or other waxy potatoes like red or new potatoes)
- 1 large carrot, or 2 small ones, thinly sliced
- 1/2 an onion or 1 small onion
- 2 cans of green beans, with liquid reserved
- Salt to taste
Directions:
Place the ham shank in a medium-sized Dutch oven. Trim off any large, excessive pieces of fat beforehand.
Add 4 cups of chicken broth, 3 bay leaves, and 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of black pepper to the pot. You can also add a chicken bouillon cube to enhance the flavor. Do not add any extra salt at this point, as the ham will provide plenty of saltiness.
Bring the soup to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more chicken broth if the liquid boils down too much. The meat should be starting to pull away from the bone when it’s ready for the next step.
While the soup is simmering, cut your potatoes and place them in a bowl of water to keep them from turning brown.
After the initial simmer, drain the potatoes and add them to the pot along with the carrots, onion, and both cans of green beans. Do not drain the liquid from the green beans; the liquid adds flavor to the soup.
Simmer the soup for another 30 to 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked through.
Remove the ham from the pot and shred the meat with a fork or by hand. It should pull away from the bone easily. Add the shredded meat back into the pot and stir.
Taste the soup and add more pepper or salt as needed.
Serve and enjoy! The soup will taste even better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld. You can also add other ingredients, such as chopped cabbage or leftover bacon, to the soup.
