My Appalachian soup beans recipe is nothing if not a pot of total and utter comfort. If you’re from the South – especially the mountain South like me – then the flavors and aromas of soup beans will likely conjure instant feelings of home. That’s almost entirely the point of sharing this, as I live in the PNW now, and have been doubling down on the Appalachian recipes and Southern cooking that I’ve shared here on MKL and in my my daily cooking as well.
Smoky bacon and deeply flavorful ham hocks build a sturdy backbone for what really is little more than a humble pot of beans. I spoon my brothy Appalachian soup beans down over a hunk of cornbread or some biscuits, sprinkle with my favorite hot sauce and tuck in some honey pickled peaches, and let me tell you – it’s some of the best eating around.
If this strikes your fancy, you might want to also check out my Butter Beans recipe (it’s killer), as well as my Appalachian Fried Potatoes, my Biscuits and Gravy recipe, my Southern Potato Soup, my Kentucky Butter Cake, and Kentucky Burgoo recipes as well.
What is this Appalachian Soup Beans recipe all about?
Alright so. Soup beans, despite what the name would have you believe, are actually not a soup but rather a delightfully brothy, bean-filled dish wherein said beans are essentially cooked for a good while in a fresh, flavorful pot likker (the cooking liquid). Ahem.
That was a run-on if ever there was, wasn’t it? Anyway, soup beans will be served a little differently in each home kitchen (mine included) of course, but there are some pretty standard features you’ll almost always find in a bowl of the stuff. You’ll usually see pinto beans used for a classic Appalachian soup beans recipe, but sometimes butter beans or white beans are used as well. I personally like a combo of beans (for looks), but if I can get my hands on some amazing heirloom bean varieties – then you better believe they’re going to meet their fate in a giant pot of soup beans. And yes, I am a person who finds glee in sourcing heirloom beans.
Okay. Soup beans also tend to be built upon a strong bacon base (like the best of us, really) and contain simple aromatics such as onions and garlic, maybe a bay leaf or two, definitely ham hocks, and often paprika (that’s where the glowy red hue comes from).
Soup beans are typically served with cornbread and it’s my favorite part. I like to place a big buttery slice of cornbread (the black grape and jalapeno cornbread in my Smoke, Roots, Mountain, Harvest cookbook is nice – sturdy and hearty but a little sweet and spicy).
Why we love this Appalachian Soup Beans recipe (like, a lot)
Goodness this one just screams cozy, home-cooked goodness. With each and every slurpable, sippable taste, this Appalachian Soup Beans recipe feels like a hug from the deepest corner of your ultimate comfort zone. That is, if you happen to hail from my neck of the woods it does. Otherwise, it will still taste absolutely fabulous – smoky, and savory, and cozy – just maybe without the note of nostalgia. No biggie.
I love a one-pot dish whenever I can get one, and this Appalachian Soup Beans recipe is a great example of the best of one-pot cooking. We’re essentially transforming the humblest ingredients of all time – beans, an onion, ham hocks – into a bowl of deliciousness fit for any foodie, anywhere. To me, this is a truly lovable quality in a recipe.
Where is Appalachia?
Appalachia is a cultural and geographic region in the eastern United States that stretches from the southern regions of New York state to northern Alabama and Georgia.
What do Southern soup beans taste like?
Southern soup beans have a savory, earthy flavor. They are often seasoned with smoked pork, onions, and spices.
How do you cook with dried beans?
Soak the dried beans overnight, then rinse and cook in fresh water until tender.
Can you freeze Appalachian Soup Beans?
Yes, you can freeze Appalachian Soup Beans. Just transfer them to a freezer-safe container/bag and ensure they go all the way down to room
Want more cozy soups in your life? I have you covered in a big way …
The Best Tortellini and Sausage Soup
Chicken, Sausage and Wild Rice Soup
Coconut Curry Thai Meatball Soup
Easiest Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup
Appalachian Soup Bean Recipe Ingredient Notes
The Beans
You should absolutely feel free to use either dried and rehydrated beans or canned beans in this Appalachian soup beans recipe of mine. I don’t care one way or another – it’ll taste the same no matter which road you choose. That said, the texture will be a little different if you opt for canned beans, as they’re bound to be noticeable softer and mushier than beans that oyu soaked and cooked from a dried state. There’s nothing wrong with super soft and creamy beans, though.
How to work with dried beans
To work with dried beans, there are a number of different ways you can go about it. These, incidentally, will be very clearly spelled out for you on the back of just about every bag of beans being sold on store shelves across the country, So, worry not. For my time and money, I like to gently boil the beans in a pot of salted water for about 10 minutes and then I just let them sit in that water for as many hours as I can – overnight is best.
I find that beans take longer to get nice and soft than many recipes care to acknowledge, so off the beans you’ve got. If they need to soak a little longer – cool. The cooking process of the actual recipe will, of course, further soften and break down the beans.
The Aromatics
Here, onion and lots of garlic reign supreme in this simple pot of cozy goodness. We’ll use a whole small onion or about half of a large one to build delicious flavor in every bite of our Southern soup beans. Furthermore, I find that an extra clove or two of garlic will always make any broth taste like the very best version of itself. Maybe that’s the Italian in me, I dunno.
The Bacon
Many people across the Southern Appalachians keep some bacon fat around for cooking – just as one would butter or any manner of oil. I’m not great about this, thought I try to do it when I remember. Then I can make just about any soup, stew, braise, or even cookie better just by swapping in bacon fat for the prescribed fat (trust me on the cookies).
In this recipe, I’m acknowledging the truth that most home cooks don’t, in fact, keep bacon grease at the ready and therefore need to start the recipe by actually cooking bacon and rendering the fat from which the pot o’ beans is truly built. The plus side of this? We get to actually enjoy that fresh, crispy bacon on top of the soup. Winning for sure.
The Ham Hocks
This part really is pretty essential to the whole soup beans thing. Ham hocks. You know them, you love them. Or, maybe neither of those things is true. I’m writing this from my home in Portland, OR (okay fine, Lake Oswego) and I’ll wager a guess that there aren’t a lot of ham hocks being used in these parts. But I was still able to find some very easily from my standard grocery store. Read below for a little more about this tres Appalachian ingredient/
My not-so-secret trick
I add a couple of teaspoons of chicken or pork stock concentrate to my soup beans (as I frankly do to SO many of my best recipes). I keep this stuff around 100% of the time, so I can use it in things just like my Appalachian Soup Beans recipe. It bolsters the depth of flavor running throughout each and every spoonful of this delicious broth and makes it taste even better. But all that said, it is optional and you don’t have to use a stock concentrate if you don’t want to.
My favorite kind ever is this brand. They come in single-use packets which is nice and convenient, and the flavor is delicious.
What are Ham Hocks?
Smoky and super tasty ham hocks are also referred to as “pork knuckles” (which I kind of love) are a cut of pork from the lower part of a pig’s leg – the join where the foot attached to the leg – and they’re used to add depth of flavor to tons of dishes. Not especially meaty, they do contain a combination of bone, tissue, collagen, and fat that, when paired with their handy size, all makes them the perfect thing to season and enrich so many things.
They are very commonly used in many Southern dishes from savory greens recipes (you could add them to my ultimate mustard greens recipe) and stews to this here here Appalachian Soup Beans recipe.
What to serve with this Appalachian Soup Beans Recipe
I say go for a great cornbread with this, as it’s very traditional and just SO very delicious. The slight sweetness of a cornbread (at least the kid I like) really balances the super savory, porky, smoky flavor of the beans. My tomato upside down cornbread is really great, and the burst of freshness from the tomatoes is really nice when served with a hearty, slow-cooked dish like these soup beans.
A side of Kilt Lettuces (killed lettuces) is a must, probably. Just go for it. And for dessert, as a nice little play on the whole cornbread thing, maybe make my whipped cornbread cookies as an after dinner treat. YES.
Appalachian Soup Beans
Smoky, savory, and absolutely filled with the flavors of nostalgic Appalachian and Southern home cooking, my soup beans recipe is mostly traditional save for a few turbo boosting tricks I incorporate to make it extra tasty. Just be sure to have some cornbread, fresh bread, or biscuits waiting in the wings to help sop up the delicious broth. Also, hot sauce. Just saying …
- Yield: Serves 4 to 6 1x
- Category: Soups
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans (or bean of your choice; you can also use canned; see note)
- 6 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 small white or sweet onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 2 teaspoons chicken or pork stock concentrate
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon paprika (smoked paprika is nice for extra smoky flavor)
- Salt and pepper, as needed
- 2 ham hocks
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons butter (or more if you like)
Instructions
- If using dried beans, place them in a pot of water to cover and add a little salt. Bring to a boil, boil gently for 10 minutes, and then turn off the heat. Let the beans soak until tender and ready to cook; about three hours, but overnight is best. Drain and rinse them before using.
- Cook the bacon in a large pot over medium heat until browned and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate for now, and leave the drippings behind.
- Add the onion to the bacon drippings in the pot (still over medium) and cook until tender; about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stock concentrate, bay leaves, paprika, and season with salt and pepper (be conservative with the salt for now). Cook for another minute or two.
- Add the beans to the pot, along with the ham hocks and chicken stock. Put a lid on the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer your soup beans for about 2 hours, or until the beans are nice and tender.
- Before serving, remove the ham hocks and shred as much of the meat as you can, and add it back into the pot. Add the butter and allow it to melt into the broth. Taste and season as you like. I like to serve my soup beans with the reserved crispy bacon, some fresh cornbread or biscuits, and hot sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
If using canned beans, I typically use three or four cans, and I drain and rinse them very well before using.
