Ham Hock Bean Soup Cornbread (Printable)

Smoky ham hock and beans simmered with vegetables, served with tender golden cornbread for a hearty meal.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Ham Hock and Bean Soup

01 - 1 large smoked ham hock, approximately 1 pound
02 - 1 pound dried white beans, 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 cooled slightly

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot 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.
03 - Add soaked beans, ham hock, bay leaves, thyme, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil.
04 - Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender and ham hock is falling apart.
05 - Remove the ham hock and shred the meat, discarding skin and bone, then return the meat to the pot. Remove bay leaves. Taste and season with salt as needed. Simmer uncovered 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. In a separate bowl, whisk milk, eggs, and melted butter. Pour wet ingredients into dry, stirring until just combined without overmixing.
07 - Pour batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Cool cornbread slightly before slicing. Serve hot soup in bowls with warm cornbread on the side.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The ham hock does all the heavy lifting, filling your broth with deep, smoky flavor without any fussy techniques.
  • Cornbread bakes while the soup simmers, so you're really only watching one pot by the end.
  • It's the rare dish that tastes even better as leftovers, thickening into something almost stew-like by day two.
02 -
  • Don't skip soaking the beans overnight—I learned this the hard way when I tried a quick-soak method and ended up with split, mushy beans that fell apart in the broth instead of staying intact and creamy.
  • The ham hock needs time to give up its flavor; rushing the simmer by raising the heat will give you tough beans and a thin broth, so patience is the real ingredient here.
  • Overmixing cornbread batter is the most common mistake—stir just until the dry ingredients disappear, even if there are small lumps visible.
03 -
  • Use tongs to handle the hot ham hock instead of a fork—it won't tear apart and scatter, and you'll keep your fingers safer.
  • Let the cornbread cool for at least 5 minutes in the baking dish before trying to slice it, or it will crumble; this patience is the difference between neat slices and a delicious mess.
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