[leftcolumn]Some rendition of this recipe has been in my family forever. I have fond memories of early fall nights filled with the scent of ham simmering on the stove and meals filled with soup, crusty bread and plenty of butter.[/leftcolumn][rightcolumn]
Although it doesn’t feel like it (it’s still 85˚ here in PA), winter is coming. Soon enough it’ll be sweater weather and we’ll all be craving comfort foods during warm, cozy nights by a fire.
This may not qualify exactly as a soup because it’s so full of beans and potatoes but it’s comfort food at its best. Smokey bacon (or ham) adds plenty of flavor to organic potatoes and fresh green beans. I used meat from our pastured pig. If you’re wondering why it’s important that animal foods come from those that have been pastured (or grass-fed), here’s a great explanation.
This recipe is super simple and can be tweaked to whatever you like best. Use some small red potatoes if they’re your favorite. You can even use radishes instead of potatoes if you’re looking for a low-carb option. If you don’t have any fresh green beans, you can use frozen beans. If you have ham stock, use that instead of the chicken stock. Feel free to make this recipe your own!
Print PA Dutch Ham & Green Beans
Savory ham (or bacon) is used to flavor this rustic soup. Make it thick with beans and potatoes and use some good, crusty buttered bread to soak up the broth. It’s comfort food at its finest.
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
4 cups fresh green beans, cleaned and stem end snipped
½ lb. bacon or smoked ham hock
3 large white potatoes, peeled and cubed (*or 1 lb. radishes, cubed, for low-carb option)
6-8 cups homemade chicken stock or bone broth
1 tsp onion powder (or ¼ cup sautéed minced onions)
Instructions
In a large stock pan sauté the bacon pieces until crispy.
(If you’re using a ham hock, you can skip this step. Just add the ham hock to the pot.)
Add remaining ingredients and simmer, covered, for an hour.
If using a ham hock, remove from the soup and pull off pieces of meat, adding them back into the soup.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Soup
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