The 15 BEST Ham Soup Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Do you take skin off ham hock before making soup? ›

That is why so many hearty winter soups and stews call for the ham hock as an essential part of the dish. When I'm making soups with ham hocks I take the time to score the thick skin of the hock. Once cooked I can then easily trim away the skin and excess fat to reveal the meat beneath.

Is 15 Bean Soup Healthy? YES, this 15 bean soup recipe is healthy! Beans are high in protein and fiber, meaning this soup will keep you full. This recipe also includes an ample amount of carrots, which are high in beta carotene, antioxidants, potassium, vitamins, and fiber.

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

Soak out the salt: Soaking the ham hocks in cold water for at least half an hour or more before cooking them will help draw out excess sodium so they don't overwhelm your palate with salt. Go low sodium: If you plan on braising your smoked ham hocks, use a low sodium broth or the salty taste may be too much.

Put the ham hock ingredients into a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Simmer gently for 2-4 hours (hocks vary in size enormously, mine took just over 2 hours), skimming off the frothy scum from time to time, until the meat is really tender and begins to fall from the bone.

Broth-based soup diets generally last for 7 days. However, some can last as long as 10–14 days. Over that time, proponents of a broth-based diet claim you can lose up to 10 or even 20 pounds (4.5 to 9 kg). On a broth-based soup diet, cream-based soups are restricted, as they're higher in calories and fat.

May induce weight loss: Though evidence for soup-based diets is lacking, some research has found that eating soup as part of a regular diet may have some health benefits, including weight loss. In a 2011 study, soup intake was associated with lower body mass index (BMI) and smaller waist circumference.

Beans are a great food for diabetics. Despite their carbohydrate content, they have a low glycemic index and are packed with fiber. This soup is also made with non-starchy veggies and spices that boost metabolism (ginger), so if you are on a diabetes diet, you can strongly consider it.

What is the most important ingredient in soup? ›

For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.

"Ground paprika, turmeric, nutmeg, ground ginger, and other powdered spices add a touch of color and spiciness to broths," she says. As a general rule, use fresh herbs at or near the end of cooking and dried herbs and spices early on. This helps you get the flavors you're looking for in the right balance.

Place a handful of ice cubes into a deep metal spoon or ladle to chill it down. Keep the ice cubes in the spoon while you touch the back of the spoon to the surface of the soup. Glide the back of the spoon gently across the fatty globules. The fat will solidify and stick onto the back of the spoon.

It's important to note that cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. If you need to substitute cornstarch to thicken liquid in a recipe that calls for ¼ cup (four tablespoons) flour, you only need two tablespoons cornstarch.

This is a ham hock, the lower segment of the pig that corresponds to the ankle or calf region. A hock is not fatty but can be made tender from all the collagen that breaks down during cooking. Best of all, the whole thing is covered in skin, and as I always say, the more skin, the better.

(The rind will stop the ham from drying out.) Score the fat in a diamond pattern, about 1cm deep. Take care not to cut through to the meat – the fat shrinks during cooking, so a deep cut may expose the meat and spoil the appearance of the ham.

Once the ham has been simmered (in cola or other liquids) then the skin tends to be rather leathery and unpalatable. So with all ham recipes the skin, and some of the fat, is removed before glazing and usually this is discarded.