15-bean Soup With Smoked Lamb And Greens

Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 16 ounces dried beans (such as hurst's s or just add odds and ends that you have)
• 2 quarts water
• 1 lb smoked lamb hock
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 lb mixed greens
• sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons wine vinegar

Recipe

• 1 place bean mixture into a large bowl and cover with water by a couple of inches. soak 8 hours or overnight. alternately, put them in a pot and cover with water by a couple of inches. bring to a rapid boil for 3 minutes. cover, turn off heat and let sit for one hour. drain water and rinse.
• 2 place soaked bean mixture in a large pot or dutch oven with 1 quart of the water, the lamb hocks, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper. bring to a boil, cover partially. reduce to a simmer and let cook until beans are just tender, 1-1½ hours. if using lentils, they will mostly disintegrate and thicken into the liquid. if soup seems too thick, add some more of the water.
• 3 add onion, celery, garlic, and paprika to the pot. stir in, then continue to simmer very gently for another 15 minutes. stir in greens and continue cooking another 5-10 minutes.
• 4 turn off the heat. fish out the hocks with a long pair of tongs or a skimmer. go ahead and remove the thyme stalks and bay leaves while you’re at it and discard them. set aside the hocks for a few minutes, until cool enough to handle. pick the meat from the bones and add the meat back to the pot.
• 5 season to taste with salt and pepper. stir in the vinegar. serve!