Portuguese Bean Soup

By Leite's Culinaria

Ingredients

2 pounds (2 to 3 hocks) smoked ham hocks
1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil
3/4 pound Portuguese chouriço (sliced or crumbled)
1 large (10 oz) sweet onion (diced)
1 large (3 1/2 oz) carrot (sliced)
3 stalks (4 oz) celery (diced)
3 cloves garlic (peeled and crushed)
1 large (13 oz) baking potato (peeled and cut into 1-inch (25-mm) cubes)
One (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
One (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
One (15.5-ounce) kidney beans (undrained)
3/4 cup elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal (or 3/4 teaspoon Morton) kosher salt (plus more if needed)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (plus more if needed)
1 teaspoon store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice
1/2 medium head green cabbage (cored and chopped, or 1 bunch kale, trimmed and chopped)
Tabasco sauce or piri-piri sauce
Portuguese sweet rolls (for serving)

Prep Time30mins
Cook Time210mins
Servings10

Instructions

In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine ham hocks and 3 quarts of water to cover the hocks. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently, partially covered, until hocks start to fall apart when poked with a spoon, 2 to 3 hours.

Remove hocks from the pot and pour the broth into a separate container (the broth should have now reduced to about 2 quarts; add water if necessary to get to this amount). Once hocks have cooled enough to handle, pick all the meat from the bones and reserve.

Wipe out the pot you used to simmer the ham hocks. Add the oil and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add sausage and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add 2 quarts of the reserved broth, the potato, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, kidney beans (with liquid), macaroni, sugar, salt, pepper, and pumpkin pie spice and stir. Increase heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook at a gentle simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Stir in reserved meat from the ham hocks after 30 minutes.

Stir in cabbage and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours before serving. Even better, let soup chill in the fridge overnight.

Reheat until warmed through, and adjust with more salt and pepper as needed. Serve with Tabasco and Portuguese sweet rolls, if desired.