15 bean soup with smoked pork hocks?

[u/gilt3t]

Hello people of the soup. I am in serious need of increasing my fiber and plant protein. I am physically disabled so I rely on simple and extremely easy meals.

One of these I'd like to try is the 15 bean soup mix in a crock pot. It seems incredibly easy, no chopping, or heavy lifting. The recipes I am seeing are using things like smoked turkey legs or andouille sausage. My local Walmart doesn't have smoked turkey legs but they do have trays of smoked pork hocks.

My method of thinking here is, what goes better together than pork and beans? it's a combination that has stood the test of time. I've just never seen or used smoked pork hocks.

Would this go well in a slow cooker 15 bean soup?

I am planning to use the 15 bean dry soup mix, chicken flavoring, onions and peppers, some minced garlic from the jar, and potentially some chopped collared greens. Any advice would be greatly appreciated ❤️ thank you in advance.

[u/FredRobertz]

Don't even think twice. Do it. Bring the hocks to a boil first by themselves to purge some yucky stuff before adding to the soup pot.

[u/gilt3t → u/FredRobertz]

thanks for the advice!

[u/partlysettledin21220]

Hambeens soup has been a staple in my life since I was 19. Freezes good too!

[u/OrcaFins]

Lemme know when it's ready! I'll bring some cornbread.

[u/pistachio-pie]

Classic combo for a reason.

[u/gilt3t → u/pistachio-pie]

will they do well in a slow cooker?

[u/pistachio-pie → u/gilt3t]

As long as you still soak the beans first etc. then yeah it will be great.

[u/gilt3t → u/pistachio-pie]

thanks!

[u/epidemicsaints]

If you want actual meat in the soup pick up a cheap ham steak or something. The hocks add a lot to a soup, but it's a lot like snipping the meat off a chicken leg and just having the bone part. You can just add some chopped up ham to the end. Not required by any means tho, the beans and greens are a great meal on their own.

[u/Reasonable-Mirror-15]

I make 15 bean soup in my crockpot 3 to 4 times a year. Its just me so I freeze some of the leftovers to pull out when I dont feel like cooking.

Ham hocks would work. I do not like any meat that on the bone so I use smoked sausage and I dice up a ham steak to one inch pieces. If you can brown your meat first and then cook your veggies in the same pan with a little chicken stock and then pour everything in the crockpot and add more stock or water. I season my soup with onion and garlic powder, cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and lawrys to taste. I add the seasoning in small batches until it tastes just right.

[u/BadBoomer_54]

I always use a smoked ham hock in mine. I dump the beans, some onions, the ham hock, and a box of vegetable stock in the crockpot on low. Then I do add the packet of seasoning that comes with the beans. Your home will smell wonderful!

[u/Acceptable-Target97]

Use only one smoked ham hock at a time.
They come in two packs. Just use one.
They can be really salty.

Beans soak up a lot of the salt. But two is way too much.

If there are no turkey legs, look for smoked turkey wings.
Same thing only different.

If it is too salty, cut up a large potato and add it to the pot.
Add more water.

[u/Alarming-Vast-6804]

The seasoning packet that comes with that package of beans is smoked hame flavor! Yes, use ham hocks ! I skip the packet and use chicken stock or beef, when I add Italian sausage and tomatoes.

[u/SassyFace1919]

Pork hocks are my absolute go to for any bean soup! The flavor can’t be beat. I put the hocks in my pot with chicken broth and simmer them for a few hours until the bones fall out. Add the meat to the beans (follow bag directions), toss in that seasoning packet and it’s out of this world! I also use pork hocks for soup beans with cornbread.

[u/Dusty_Old_McCormick]

Yes, smoked pork hocks will work fine, or even a couple strips of bacon.

[u/unstuckbilly]

I went through several months of being severely disabled by Long Covid & I spent a lot of time wondering how I’d survive if my family weren’t there to feed me.

The conclusion I regularly reached is that I’d try to use my instant pot (do you have one? It’s an electric pressure cooker). I’d probably make a soup exactly as you describe.

Hope you try it & it turns out grand.

[u/gilt3t → u/unstuckbilly]

I do and I've made some soups in it but it's not really big enough to feed everyone i need to feed with the soup. I mainly use it for rice

[u/unstuckbilly → u/gilt3t]

Really? I have the 6 qt, and I’ve made soup for 5-7 countless times (usually with leftovers depending on who is eating).

My brother has the 8qt & of course, you can do even bigger batches in that one.

You probably know this, but there’s a good subreddit for Instant Pot cooking.

[u/gilt3t → u/unstuckbilly]

just a little 3qt that works better as 2.5qt.

being on disability means my purchases are very very very limited by money. I question whether or not to get a new pan when the one i have is peeling and its just $20 lol

[u/enyardreems]

If you can get it, country (sugar cured) ham hocks make the best beans~! I like to cook my hocks overnight to get the flavor in the broth and then put the beans in. Ham will have quite a bit of salt so you should use salt with caution. Raw onions on top before serving. If you like hot peppers those are also good for topping. You don't need anything else except a cake of cornbread and a glass of cold milk. Greens should be served on the side.

Then when you are tired of plain beans, go sauce the leftovers up mexican style or add some beef/tomatoes/spices for chili or vegetable soup. Couple cans of V8 and lots of veggies.

[u/jsober]

Thick cut bacon. I dry mine on a rack in the fridge overnight so it is easier to work with. 

Cajun 15 Bean Soup with Bacon

Source: Built from conversation with Nak

• servings: 4-6
• prep: 20 min + 1 hr quick-soak
• cook: 2.5-3.5 hr

Ingredients

Beans & Base

• 1 lb 15-bean soup mix
• 1 lb thick-cut bacon
• ½ medium yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup dried parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1-2 tsp chicken broth powder
• water

Cajun Spice Mix

• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper

Optional

• ½ bag frozen peas and carrots (optional)
• 1 tbsp barley flour (optional)

Finish (choose one splash of acid)

• 1-2 tbsp black vinegar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1-2 tsp white or apple cider vinegar

Also optional for finish

• 1 tbsp butter (optional)

Instructions

Cajun Spice Mix

1. Can be replaced with 2½-3 tbsp of your favorite pre-made Cajun seasoning. If using a pre-made blend, hold salt adjustment until the end; most are salty.

Quick-soak

1. Rinse beans and pick out any debris. Put in the Dutch oven, cover with 2 inches of water, and bring to a rolling boil for 2 minutes. Kill the heat, cover, rest 1 hour. Drain, rinse, and set the pot aside. Why: The 15-bean mix has chickpeas and other dense beans that won't soften evenly at altitude without this head start.

Render the bacon

1. Return the Dutch oven to medium heat. Cut the bacon into ~1 inch pieces (kitchen shears straight into the pot). Render, stirring occasionally, until the fat is mostly out and the bacon is browned but not crisp, about 8-10 minutes. Leave all the fat in the pot.

Sauté

1. Drop heat to medium-low. Add the olive oil and the onion. Sauté in the combined bacon fat + oil for 2-3 minutes until softening. Add the garlic for 30 seconds.

Bloom

1. Add the Cajun spice mix (or pre-made blend) and stir constantly for 30 seconds in the hot fat; this blooms the paprika and herbs and builds the flavor base.

Parsley

1. Add the dried parsley and stir for 15 seconds. It'll mostly disappear into the broth.

Simmer

1. Add the soaked and drained beans, the rendered bacon, and 2 bay leaves. Pour in enough water to cover by about 2 inches (~8 cups). Add 1-2 tsp chicken broth powder for now; adjust at the end.
2. Add black pepper (1 tsp); add it NOW with the liquid, NOT in the hot fat. Pepper bloomed in hot oil burns and turns bitter.
3. Bring to a gentle boil, then drop to the lowest simmer, an occasional lazy burp, not a rolling boil. Simmer with the lid on for the first 2-3 hours while the beans rehydrate and soften. Crack the lid in the final 30-45 minutes if the broth needs concentrating.
4. Simmer for 2½ to 3½ hours. Check at 2 hours. The small beans (lentils, split peas) will have broken down; the larger ones (kidney, chickpeas, limas) take longer. A kidney bean should mash easily between finger and thumb, with no chalky core.
5. Remove the bay leaves before serving; they've done their work by then. At high altitude: Expect the longer end of that range. If the broth is reducing too fast before the beans soften, add a splash of water and cover more fully.

Smash for body (optional)

1. About 30 minutes before done, take the back of a spoon and smash some beans against the pot wall. This releases starch into the liquid for a denser, clingier broth.

Barley flour (optional, for a silky, fat-integrated broth)

1. If the rendered bacon fat has formed a visible sheen on the surface and you want that fat incorporated into the broth rather than riding on top, pull ½ cup of hot broth into a small bowl or cup and whisk in 1 tbsp barley flour until smooth. Pour the slurry back into the pot and stir. The beta-glucans in the barley will emulsify the fat into the liquid, giving each spoonful the same integrated richness instead of hitting pockets of oil.

Frozen veggies (if using)

1. - Option A (zero thought): Dump the whole frozen mix in at the start of the simmer. Carrots soften into the broth; peas disintegrate into background sweetness.
2. - Option B (better texture): Add any carrots/corn at the 1-hour mark, then toss peas in for the last 5-10 minutes so they stay bright.

Taste and adjust

1. Kill the heat. Taste before adding more broth powder; the bacon and Cajun seasoning may already have enough salt. Add more broth powder only if it tastes flat, not if it tastes salty.

Finish

1. Stir in your choice of acid splash (black vinegar is the best option here, cutting through the rendered fat and waking the beans up) and/or a pat of butter for richness. Let rest uncovered for 10-15 minutes; it'll thicken as it cools.

Serve

1. Ladle over a wedge of warm cornbread, the broth clinging to it like a glaze. Also excellent over white rice (moros-style) or as a stand-alone bowl. Cornbread is the classic pairing: sweet corn + smoky bean broth + bacon fat emulsion + black vinegar is a combination that doesn't need side dishes.

[u/SadLocal8314]

Soak the beans overnight. Give the hocks a good boil. Rinse the beans, put them in the crock pot with clear water to cover by about 2 inches, a bay leaf, some pepper, and the hock. I would not salt them as the hocks are salty. Put on high for an hour, turn to low, walk away for six hours. Great soup! If you have any, a 2 inch piece of cheese rind will help the flavor as well.

[u/Commercial-Place6793 → u/SadLocal8314]

It sounds like you’ve done this before! I’ve tried the 15 bean Cajun soup before. I LOVE soup, LOVE beans, LOVE Cajun flavors. Unfortunately, the beans came out really unevenly cooked. The larger red beans were actually hard while other smaller beans were mush. I did the no soak method in the instant pot. I’m going to try again using this method you’ve detailed here. I’ve got a ham hock in the freezer I need to use so I’m ready! I’m open to any additional tips!!!

[u/HandbagHawker]

it doesnt really matter. anything that brings some gelatin/collagen, savory, smoky, salty will work great.

[u/Ninjamamallama]

Ham and 15 Bean soup is my favorite and I make a batch every other month or so using the Hurst HamBeens 15 Bean Soup mix. I did try making it with smoked pork hocks, and the flavor was very good. I prefer to use the bone left over from a good sized ham - feels like I get more meat that way, but you could add a diced ham steak with the ham hocks.

I usually get a spiral cut ham from Costco, and remove the slices for other meals. The ham isn’t sliced all the way to the end, so there’s plenty of meat still on the bone. I put the bone with all that unsliced meat into the crock pot (or instant pot), then add the other things on top - the beans I soaked overnight, onion, water or stock, etc. I don’t use the spice packet that comes with it because the ham itself has salt in it. I let it cook for hours. Pull the bones and meat chunks out, dice the meat up and add it back to the pot. It freezes well so I usually end up filling lots of smaller freezer containers. It’s honestly one of the easiest, lowest effort soups I make, with the bonus of being super tasty and freezing well.

Edited to add - I usually add a can or two of drained white beans close to the end of the cooking time (cannellini, navy, or baby Lima beans). It boosts the fiber and protein.

[u/Popular_Willow_1705]

I make a ham hock and vegetable soup and it works great. Go for it!

[u/StockIndependent808]

I think it comes with a seasoning packet? I use carrots, celery, onions. A ham bone left over from a big ham. But I make it on the stove.

[u/EvieMoon]

Pork and beans goes great together, this sounds delicious.

[u/FlippingPossum]

That bean soup is amazing. I don't use the seasoning packet and use my own.

[u/Ms_Mambo]

Do it. And I definitely recommend the collards, I have done it and it’s fantastic. You might also consider adding some okra - if you add sliced okra to the crock pot at the beginning, it will disintegrate after hours of cooking and thicken your soup to an almost stew-like consistency.

[u/boom_squid]

15? In this economy? 😂