There are many ways to cook white beans including soups, stews, salads and more, but one of my favorite ways to cook them is southern style with a smoky ham hock where they simmer all day. This method ensures the beans get filled with flavor and get nice and creamy and delicious. These beans could truly be a meal of their own, but I love to serve them up with cornbread and my favorite collard greens. This recipe for southern style white beans and ham is going to quickly become a new favorite recipe to make when you are craving some comfort food.

This recipe is truly so simple, but could not be anymore delicious. The beans simmer in broth that gets infused with the smoky ham hock and herbs and the combination is so good. If you added more broth, you could totally turn this into a soup, but I love enjoy them a bit thicker where the beans get nice and buttery! The best is serving them up with southern greens, buttered cornbread, and topping it all off with a little hot sauce. (YUM!) This sort of meal totally takes me back to growing up in Tennessee and eating dinners like this quite often.

You can buy your ham hock at your local grocery or you can save the bones from a roasted ham that you might have cooked. I do not recommend skipping this key ingredient because it adds so much flavor to the beans. I also love using rosemary and thyme here which just pair perfectly with the beans and give them that delicious herby flavor. Of course you could use dried herbs here, but if you can find them fresh, it is preferred. You can also use turkey stock here or vegetable stock but I do think stock over water is the way to go because it adds another level of flavor. Also depending on the stock you use, the color of your beans might be darker or lighter, but either way they will be delicious!

I like to simmer them slow on the stove all day, but if you wanted to do this recipe in your slow cooker you could also do that, but I would make sure to sauté your onions and garlic first before adding all ingredients to the slow cooker.

I can’t wait for you to give this recipe a try for yourself!

Ingredients:

• 1 Lb. Dried Navy Beans

• 1 Ham Hock

• 2 Fresh Rosemary Sprigs

• 4 Fresh Thyme Sprigs

• 1 Diced Onion

• 4 Cloves of Garlic, Finely Minced

• 6 Cups Chicken Broth

• 1 Tbsp. Kosher Salt

• 1 Tsp. Black Pepper

• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Directions:

• Soak white beans overnight in water and then drain and rinse the next morning.

• Add oil to a large pot over medium heat and add onions, garlic, and half of the salt and pepper and sauté for 3-5 minutes until the onions begins to soften.

• Add in ham hock along with beans, herbs, broth, and the rest of the salt and pepper and stir to combine.

• Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 2-3 hours until beans are tender and broth has reduced.

• Taste test for more salt and pepper and add if needed.

• Remove the hock and shred any bits of ham meat that might be on the bone and add to the beans and stir to combine. Discard the bone.

• Serve immediately.

Note: Check liquid during cooking to ensure that the beans stay covered in liquid the whole time. Add water if the broth evaporates too quickly.

How delicious do these beans look? Make sure to pin this recipe so you can make them soon!