Portuguese Bean Soup

There’s nothing like a nice bean soup recipe for a cold day, and this one has a Portuguese twist, thanks to the sausage that’s added to it. Our Portuguese bean soup recipe features kidney beans, Portuguese sausage, potatoes, a smoked ham hock, cabbage, tomatoes and chicken broth, plus staples such as onions, carrots and celery. Adding elbow macaroni towards the end of the cooking time turns this soup into a soup-er meal on its own.

Ingredients for Portuguese Bean Soup

• Dried kidney beans: Kidney beans are a good source of fiber and protein, and they make this soup quite filling.
• Onion, carrot and celery: This tasty trio flavors the soup and adds color, texture and nutrients such as vitamins A, C, B6 and B9.
• Smoked ham hock: The ham hock adds loads of smoky flavor and salt to the soup. The bone provides collagen and gelatin, which makes the soup silkier.
• Potato: The potato makes the soup heartier. Chop it into bite-sized pieces ahead of time,
• Chorizo or Portuguese sausage: Chop the cooked chorizo or smoked sausage ahead of time. Note: Some varieties of Portuguese sausage are smoked and ready to eat, with no extra cooking required. Check your packaging.
• Garlic: Minced garlic adds loads of umami to soup. Feel free to add more, if you like.
• Seasonings: Bay leaf, salt and pepper enhance the flavor of the soup. Remember to take the bay leaf out before serving the soup.
• Reduced-sodium chicken broth: Using a reduced-sodium broth ensures the soup won’t be too salty; the smoked ham hock adds salt to the dish.
• Canned whole tomatoes in puree: Tomatoes add color and flavor, plus nutrients such as potassium and vitamins C and K.
• Elbow macaroni: The macaroni turns this soup into a full, hearty meal. There’s no need to cook it ahead of time, as it will cook in the soup, absorbing some of the flavor, too.
• Cabbage or kale: Either of these garden staples works well in this soup. Clean and chop the cabbage or kale ahead of time.

Directions

Step 1: Rinse, heat and soak the beans

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Rinse the dried beans. Place them in a large saucepan or Dutch oven, then add enough water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil and let it boil for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the beans soak, covered, for 1 to 4 hours. Drain and rinse the beans and discard the liquid; set the beans aside.

Step 2: Start the soup

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In the same saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook them for 3 to 4 minutes or until they’re slightly soft. Add the ham hock, soaked beans, potato, sausage, garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the broth and the tomatoes in puree; crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Bring the soup to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 25 to 30 minutes.

Step 3: Add macaroni and cabbage

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Stir in the macaroni and the cabbage and cook, covered, for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the macaroni is cooked and the cabbage or kale is wilted. Remove the ham hock and bay leaf and discard them before serving.

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Recipe Variations

• Switch beans: Make the soup with another bean such as navy beans or cannellini beans. Chickpeas or garbanzo beans also work.
• Swap greens: Use fresh spinach or Swiss chard in place of the cabbage or kale. Feel free to use a combination of greens, too!
• Saute the garlic: Slice the garlic rather than mincing it and add it to the pan when sauteing the onions, carrot and celery for even more deliciousness.

How to Store Portuguese Bean Soup

When the soup cools, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It’ll keep for about 5 days in the fridge.

Can you freeze Portuguese bean soup?

Sure! Store it in a freezer-worthy container once it’s cool, then pop the container into the freezer. It’ll keep for about 3 months in the freezer; transfer the soup container to the fridge to let it thaw overnight before reheating.

Portuguese Bean Soup Tips

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Can I used canned instead of dried kidney beans?

Sure; if using canned beans, there’s no need to soak or partially cook them ahead of time. Instead, add them to the soup a few minutes before adding the macaroni and cabbage or kale, otherwise they may get too soft. Here are some more canned beans recipes.

Where can I get a ham hock?

Ham hocks, also called pork knuckles, are sold in butcher shops and at some supermarkets. Look for them near fresh meats at the market, in the cured meats section near the bacon, or sometimes in the frozen foods area. If you can’t find ham hocks locally, buy a ham bone instead. It won’t add that smoky flavor, but it’ll still benefit the soup.

Could I use ham in this soup instead of a sausage?

Sure! In this case, using a ham shank instead of a ham hock naturally adds more meat to the soup, since the shank is a meatier cut. If using a shank, pull the meat from the bone after it’s been cooking in the soup a while, then place the meat back in the soup. The other option is simply adding chunks of smoked ham to the soup to replace the sausage.