Smoky white bean and ham hock soup with gremolata

A zesty gremolata lifts this hearty soup, which is filled with shredded meat and spiced beans.

Smoky white bean, ham hock soup with gremolata. Credit: Chris Middleton

• serves

  6

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  3:10 hours

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, halved lengthways and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 500 g smoked ham hock
• 200 g (1 cup) dried cannellini beans, rinsed
• 2 litres (8 cups) vegetable stock
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• Crusty bread, to serve

Gremolata

• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 long red chilli, finely chopped
• 15 g (½ cup) finely chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat.

Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring, for 5–6 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the ham hock, beans, stock and all the paprika. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2½ hours, or until the beans and hock are tender.

Remove the hock from the soup, then remove and shred the meat. Discard the skin and bone.

Remove about one-third of the beans and carrots from the soup and mash, then return to the soup with the meat. Taste and season with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper if required.

Combine the gremolata ingredients in a small bowl.

Serve the soup in large bowls, with a sprinkle of gremolata and slices of crusty bread.

This recipe is from Low & Slow (Smith Street Books).

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.