Spicy Red Bean Soup

This Southern-style red bean soup is the kind of slow-Sunday cook that fills the whole house with the smell of smoked ham. A meaty ham hock simmers for hours with dried kidney beans, while cayenne, black pepper, bay, and cumin steep in a cheesecloth bundle so you can pull them clean before serving.

The spice bundle is the smart move. Loose spices end up in every bowl and overpower the smoky pork, but bundled they perfume the broth and leave the finished soup looking clean. A finishing splash of Tabasco and a handful of fresh parsley right before the table give it sharp, fresh contrast against the deep simmered flavor.

Pro Tips

• Don’t add salt or acidic ingredients early. Both can toughen the bean skins and stretch the simmer time well past four hours. Salt at the end if needed.
• The ham hock should fall off the bone after the full simmer. Pull it out, shred the meat, and stir it back in for chunky bites.
• Skim the gray foam during the first 30 minutes of simmering. It carries off bitter compounds and gives you a cleaner-tasting broth.
• Soak the beans overnight if you have time. Same-day cooking works, but soaked beans cook more evenly and give creamier interiors.

Variations

• Add a smoked andouille sausage sliced into rounds in the last hour for a real Creole bowl.
• Stir a cup of cooked white rice into the pot for a heartier supper, more like classic red beans and rice.
• Use chipotle in adobo in place of cayenne for a smokier, deeper heat profile.