Anasazi Beans and Ham Hock soup not up to par.....

[karennoca]

I made a pot of Anasazi beans and ham hock soup yesterday. Ham hocks, were cooked with carrots, onion, celery, bay leaves, peppercorns, then strained; the stock was in fridge overnight to congeal the fat which was removed yesterday morning. Cooked the beans in the stock, added carrot, onion, garlic, potato, celery, bay leaf, thyme sprigs. It is OK but not excellent. Not sure if my ham hocks were in the freezer too long (two months) they were not burned, and were very meaty. What can I add to take them over the top? Cumin, orange zest, ???? I am feeling they need a fresh taste, or some warm spices, or both?

Any idea to make them more flavorful?

 

[melissa-dallas]

Did you discard the fat? Bean soups benefit from it.

 

[barb_b]

My FIL makes a similar soup w/ hungarian beans. He adds a roux of bacon fat/paprika/flour

 

[karennoca]

Yes, I did discard the fat, and I always do. However, there was still a little left in the stock.

 

[CathyZ]

You may think this is odd but add some rich chicken stock to it.

 

[curious1]

I loved this recipe from Fine Cooking and looking at it, I wonder if browning up some andouille or

other spicy sausage and adding might help. Also adding parsley for freshness. I found it does wonders for jambalaya.

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/new-orleans-style-anasazi-beans-rice.aspx

 

[karennoca]

Here is what I did

Melissa, and Barb suggested to add some fat, and Curious suggested Andouille. I had Louisiana Hot Link in the freezer, browned it up nicely, sliced very thin, so I could have a lot of those spicy flavor pops.
Instead of rich chicken broth Cathy suggested, I added a good dry white vermouth, heated in up so I could taste it and it worked! Will heat it up for a bit longer tonight to marry the hot link and wine a little more with the soup, add fresh parsley from the herb garden and it should be great.
Thanks for the ideas!

 

[angak1]

Next time cook the veggies you keep in the soup with the andouille to caramelize them. Adds a nice

Layer of flavor. We like to add a T of vinegar into our bowls of any bean soup. Makes them sing.

 

[traca]

I'd follow Cathy & sub out stock for water. I'd also be inclined to add a ham hock to the beans

as they cook. Loads of flavor in those. (The head notes mention the original recipe inspiration uses a ham bone. This is a riff on that.)

I agree with others that fat takes a recipe like this from good to remarkable.

 

[traca]

Oops! I see the original recipe does a have a ham hock.

 

[karennoca]

you know what? My Portuguese grandmother used to add wine to her soups.

and that was a long time ago. she also said, it made the soup sing! It did!

 

[angak1]

the vinegar in the soup bowl is very German,at least in our house.couldn't eat bean soup without it

 

[curious1]

When I was a child, we added vinegar to the weekly pinto beans. I'd forgotten that. It was good!

 

[cheezz]

We would add a little bit of the juice from a jar of pickled jalape

 

[curious1]

Even better. Sadly, we had never heard of jalapenos back then.

 

[angak1]

ditto