Red Pea Ham Hock Soup

Ham hock soup was another one of my favorites while in Jamaica. Serve as is or with a tablespoon of pure dark Appleton® rum swirled into the soup.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 25 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 55 mins
• Calories: 555 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• water to cover
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 ½ quarts chicken broth
• 1 Scotch bonnet chile pepper, chopped
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 pound smoked ham hocks
• 2 teaspoons ground thyme
• 3 cups dry kidney beans
• ½ pound sweet potatoes, cubed
• ½ pound potatoes, cubed
• 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk (such as Grace®)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place kidney beans in a bowl with water to cover. Soak 8 hours to overnight. Drain.

Step 2

Combine soaked beans, ham hocks, and broth in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Simmer until beans are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 3

Stir sweet potatoes, potatoes, onion, carrots, scallions, Scotch bonnet pepper, garlic, thyme, salt, and black pepper into the stockpot. Let simmer until vegetables are soft, 30 to 45 minutes more. Add coconut milk; simmer soup until flavors are mingled, about 10 minutes more.

Step 4

Remove ham hocks and puree soup with a stick blender.