I Have A Bean Today

When asked about some of his favorite dishes, Martin Luther King, Jr. replied that what he liked best were "real down-home foods" such as pork chops, fried chicken, pig's feet, black-eyed peas, and turnip greens.

Like those who joined hands to march for equality, over a dozen different beans, peas, and lentils come together in one delicious and nutritious dish.

I Have A Bean Today Soup

Serves 10

Ingredients

20 ounce bag Hurst 15 bean soup mix

6 smoked ham hocks

2 large dried bay leaves

6-8 strips bacon

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

2 parsnips, peeled and finely chopped

1 green pepper, finely chopped

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 leek - white and pale green parts only - rinsed thoroughly, and finely chopped

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Vegetable or chicken broth as needed

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Salt and freshly cracked pepper

Tabasco sauce

Fresh chives, finely chopped, for garnish

Sour cream, for garnish

Directions

Day before or early in day, place hocks in Dutch oven or stock pot and cover with 10 cups water. Add 1 bay leaf. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 and 1/2 hours. Remove from heat. Remove hocks to large bowl and allow to cool. When hocks are cool enough to handle, remove meat to small bowl and refrigerate. Discard skin, fat, and bones. Allow stock to cool to room temperature and refrigerate.

Approximately 3 and 1/2 hours before serving time, prepare beans. Discard artificial ham flavoring packet, if included with bean mix. Rinse and sort beans and place in Dutch oven on stove. Add 10 cups of water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 bay leaf. Bring to full boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cover and simmer for 1 and 1/2 hours.

While beans cook, prepare vegetables. In large frying pan, saute bacon just until crisp. Lay bacon strips on paper towels. In bacon grease, saute celery, carrots, parsnips, green pepper, onion, shallot, leek, and squash until soft. Just before veggies are done, toss in garlic and thyme for 1 minute to bloom flavor and aroma. Remove vegetables to bowl.

Retrieve bowl of hock stock from fridge. Remove layer of fat from top. You know you've done it right if fat comes cleanly away from broth that has turned to gelatin.

Carefully pour gelatin/broth into frying pan. Add enough boxed chicken or vegetable broth to make about 10 cups total. Bring to simmer.

Drain beans. Discard bay leaf. Return beans to Dutch oven. Add sauteed vegetables and stir. Add turmeric, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, and stir. Carefully pour hot broth into Dutch oven. Stir. Bring to boiling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 additional hour.

Add the reserved meat from the ham hocks to the Dutch oven. Quickly chop the cooked bacon strips and add to Dutch oven. Allow to heat through for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and add 12 drops Tabasco to pot (place bottle of Tabasco on table for those who like it hotter). Stir thoroughly. Ladle into bowls. Top with dollop of sour cream and sprinkling of chopped chives.

My wife baked homemade bread to serve with this, but a good store-bought crusty loaf will do. Remember to let a stick of butter soften on the counter before serving.