Ham Hock Bean Soup Cornbread (Printable)

Smoky ham hock cooked with beans and vegetables, served alongside soft golden cornbread.

# Required Ingredients:

→ Ham Hock and Bean Soup

01 - 1 large smoked ham hock, approximately 1 pound
02 - 1 pound dried white beans (navy or Great Northern), soaked overnight and drained
03 - 8 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
04 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
05 - 2 carrots, peeled and diced
06 - 2 celery stalks, diced
07 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
08 - 2 bay leaves
09 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
10 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - Salt to taste
13 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Cornbread

15 - 1 cup yellow cornmeal
16 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
17 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
18 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
19 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
20 - 1 cup whole milk
21 - 2 large eggs
22 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

# Preparation Steps:

01 - In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery; sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute more. Add soaked beans, ham hock, bay leaves, thyme, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil.
03 - Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender and ham hock is falling apart.
04 - Remove the ham hock from the pot. Shred the meat, discarding skin and bone, and return the meat to the pot. Discard bay leaves. Taste and season with salt as needed.
05 - Simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes to thicken if desired. Stir in fresh parsley just before serving.
06 - Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
07 - In a separate bowl, whisk milk, eggs, and melted butter. Pour wet ingredients into dry, stirring until just combined without overmixing.
08 - Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
09 - Cool cornbread slightly before slicing. Serve hot soup in bowls with warm cornbread on the side.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The ham hock gives you incredible depth without any fussy technique—just let time do the work.
  • Cornbread baked alongside means you're serving something warm and golden that actually belongs with the meal.
  • This is the kind of soup that tastes better the next day, so you're really making two meals out of one effort.
02 -
  • Don't skip soaking your beans overnight—it's not a suggestion, it's what keeps them from staying hard in the center no matter how long you cook them.
  • The moment your ham hock shreds easily is the moment you stop cooking it; if you keep going, the meat dissolves into the broth and you lose that texture.
  • Cornbread batter should look slightly lumpy, almost like you didn't finish mixing—that's exactly right, and it's how you get that tender crumb.
03 -
  • Taste the soup before adding salt—the ham hock and broth already carry salt, and it's easier to add more than to fix it if you overshoot.
  • Don't stir the cornbread batter more than necessary; a few lumps are your friend and they disappear during baking anyway.
  • If you find the soup too thick after two hours, thin it with a little extra broth; if it's too thin, simmer uncovered for another ten to fifteen minutes and it will tighten up naturally.
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