White Bean & Lacinato Kale Soup with Smoked Ham Hock

After flavoring the beans for this creamy winter soup, smoked ham hock is shredded and pan fried, rendering it crisp and intensifying it’s flavor.

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup Olive Oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
  • 1 carrot, roughly chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • 2 1/2 cups cannelli or Great Northern beans, soaked overnight and drained
  • 1 bouquet garni (1 tsp whole black peppercorns, 2 each bay leaves, sprigs rosemary and thyme tied up in cheesecloth)
  • 1 smoked ham hock
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 stalks lacinato or regular kale (stems thinly sliced, leaves halved lengthwise and thinly sliced)
Instructions
  1. Heat 1/4 cup oil in an 8 qt. saucepan over medium-high heat.
  2. Cook garlic, celery, carrot and onion until golden, 10-12 minutes.
  3. Add stock, beans, bouquet garni and ham hock; boil.
  4. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, covered slightly, until beans are mushy, 1-1 1/2 hours.
  5. Discard bouquet garni.
  6. Transfer ham hock to a plate and let it cool; discard skin and bone and shred meat.
  7. Transfer half the beans to a bowl; set aside.
  8. Using an immersion blender or regular blender, puree soup until very smooth.
  9. Stir in reserved beans, salt and pepper, keep warm.
  10. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat; cook kale stems until tender, 3-4 minutes.
  11. Add kale leaves, salt and pepper; cook until leaves are wilted, 2-3 minutes and stir into soup.
  12. Add remaining oil to skillet; cook shredded pork until crisp, 6-8 minutes.
  13. Ladle soup into bowls; top with crispy pork.