Bean Soup with Ham Hock

Ingredients

• 200 g white beans
• 100 g kidney beans
• 1 smoked ham hock
• 100 g carrots
• 100 g parsley root
• 1 tsp Paprika powder (sweet)
• 1 large onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 40 g clarified butter
• 200 g heavy cream
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• Salt
• pepper from grinder

Instructions

1. 1.

   Soak the beans overnight separately. Cook the ham hock in 1.5 l water until tender, then let it cool overnight. The next day peel and slice the carrots; peel and roughly chop the onion and garlic, peel and dice the parsley root. Remove the hardened fat from the cooled ham broth. Heat the clarified butter in a pan, sauté the onions, two‑thirds of the carrots, and half the parsley root until lightly browned, season with salt and paprika. Add the soaked white beans with their soaking water, then pour in enough ham broth to cover the beans; simmer covered, stirring occasionally, for about 40 min. Cook the kidney beans separately in salted water for about 40 min, adding the remaining carrots and parsley root pieces halfway through.

2. 2.

   While the beans are cooking, split the ham hock along the bone and cut each half again. Roast the pieces in a preheated oven at 120 °C for about 30 min.

3. 3.

   Remove the bay leaf from the white bean mixture. Blend the beans with onions, garlic, carrots, and cream until smooth, adding more ham broth as needed to reach a creamy consistency. Drain the kidney beans and stir them into the soup. Season with salt and pepper, fold in chopped parsley, then ladle the soup into bowls. Place a slice of roasted ham hock on top of each serving and serve.