Appalachian Soup Bean Recipe

 

Soup beans are a staple in the Appalachian Mountains region of the United

While soup beans are mostly a meatless entree, they are very filling and stick to your bones.  That’s one of the main reasons this main course was served often in the Appalachian region.

Meat was hard to come by and expensive unless you butchered your own, so the folks had to rely upon other means of feeding their families nutritious dinners.

Soup beans can be made with white beans or butter beans, but my recipe will use the traditional pintos.  

Soup beans can be served with fried potatoes, corn bread, and greens.  You can top them with chives or ramps.

Ingredients:

8 oz dried pintos, rinsed and picked through

1 ham hock or 6 slices bacon

1 medium onion

1 cartoon chicken broth

Water

Onion powder 

Garlic powder

Paprika

Directions:

1.  You can soak your beans overnight, but I usually do not do that.  I will rinse them in a colander in cold water and pick out the bad beans and any rocks.

2.   Dice medium onion and throw in your pot or Dutch oven.  Let the onion brown a few minutes.

3.  Put beans in the pot with the onion and cover with the chicken broth and a heaping tablespoon of  bacon grease.

4.  Add enough cold water to cover the beans by a couple of inches.

5.  Put in ham hock, bacon or other meat of your choice.  

6.  Add in a teaspoon of both powders and paprika.  

7.  Cover and slow boil for 4-6 hours, checking water level.  

8.  Taste the soup to be sure there’s enough onion and garlic powder and paprika.

9.  Take out ham hock and cut off any edible meat and add to beans.

10.  Take out a cup of beans, mash them up with a fork and add back in to make the soup beans thicker. 

11.  Save the salt to the last!  Salt the soup beans to desired taste.