Puerto Rican Bean Ham Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Rinse the beans, sorting out any broken or discolored ones. In a large pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt and the beans and remove from heat. Let beans sit in the hot water for at least 60 minutes.
• After the 60 minutes of soaking, return the pot to high heat and place the ham bone, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, mustard and bay leaves in the pot. Stir well, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 60 more minutes.
• Remove ham bone and discard. Stir in the chopped ham and simmer for 30 more minutes. Season with ground white pepper to taste.

Steps:

• Wash and sort beans. Soak in cold water overnight; drain. In a large 8-qt. soup kettle, combine the beans, carrots, onions, celery, garlic, meat and paprika. Add enough water to cover ingredients by 2 in. simmer, partly covered, for 2-1/2 hours or until the beans are tender, adding more water as needed. When beans are tender; remove meat to side dish. , To make Csipetke, mix flour, salt, egg and oil into stiff dough; let rest for 30 minutes. Divide into four parts. Flatten each part and pinch off pieces about the size of a cherry pit; roll between fingers and drop into hot soup. Cook 30 minutes. Blend in sour cream if desired. Mix in parsley and vinegar; adjust seasoning. Cut reserved ham into bite-size pieces; stir into soup.

Steps:

• Soak beans overnight in plenty of cold water to cover.
• The next day, pick over and rinse beans well. Place in pan with 8 cups cold water. Bring to boil and immediately reduce to simmer. Keeping partially covered, simmer until beans are tender, about 35 minutes.
• Meanwhile, saute bacon until it begins to color. Reserve 2 tablespoons fat and drain off any excess. (If preferred, all the bacon fat can be drained and replaced with 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil.)
• Make a SOFRITO by sauteing the onion, garlic, bell pepper, black pepper and cilantro or cilantro until wilted in the hot oil. Add ham and salami and saute another 1 or 2 minutes. Add SOFRITO to beans, using water from beans to loosen any last bits from bottom. Consistency of soup should be thick, but not like a stew. If necessary, add enough water to the pan to give it soup-like consistency. Simmer 15 minutes. Add salt, spaghetti and tomato sauce to beans. Cook 7 more minutes. Taste for salt and serve.