CUBAN WHITE BEAN SOUP

Although it’s the start of summer, it’s currently raining and thundering out where we live so a tasty, hearty bowl of chunky soup with a big crusty loaf of sourdough bread is permissible in my books.  This humble Cuban white bean soup is delicious and filling.  It freezes very well too!

INGREDIENTS:

9 cups chicken broth

3 cans white beans, drained and rinsed

2 bay leaves

8 rashers thick sliced smoked bacon, chopped (or 1 cup Spanish chorizo, chopped)

2 ham hocks

2 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic ,

1 large white onion, diced

4 ribs celery, diced

2 tsp cumin

3  tsp dried oregano

2 tsp Kosher salt (adjust to taste preference)

1 tsp Freshly ground black pepper (adjust to taste preference)

1 tsp franks hot sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Stove top:

1. Add chicken broth, bay leaves, and ham hocks in a soup pot and bring to a boil over medium heat.

2. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 1/2 hours.

3. Remove ham hocks and shred meat from bones and add back to the pot.

4. Add drained and rinsed white beans to the pot.

5. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté chopped bacon (or chorizo), onions, celery and garlic until bacon is thoroughly cooked and onions are golden.

6. Add onion & bacon mixture to soup pot, with cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Serve.

Instant Pot:

1. Add pork hocks, bay leaves and 5 cups of the chicken broth to instant pot and turn on the manual mode. Set for 1 hour.

2. When the instant pot is done, let the pressure release naturally. Remove the bay leaves and pork hocks. Shred or cut up the meat off of the bones and add back to the instant pot.

3. In a frying pan over medium heat, saute bacon (or chorizo), onions, celery and garlic in the olive oil until bacon is cooked thoroughly and the onions are golden. Add the cumin, oregano, salt and pepper & hot sauce. Cook an additional 2 minutes.

4. Add the sautéed bacon mixture to the instant pot along with the remaining 4 cups chicken broth.

5. Add the lid and turn the instant pot to manual mode again for an additional 6 minutes. Quick release pressure.

6. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste preference. Serve.