Ham Hock Bean Soup Cornbread (Print Version)

Smoky ham hock simmers with white beans and veggies, served alongside tender golden cornbread for a cozy 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 for garnish

→ 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 slightly cooled

# 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 and fragrant.
02 - Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until aromatic, being careful not to brown.
03 - Add soaked beans, ham hock, bay leaves, thyme, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Pour in broth and bring to a boil over high heat.
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 ham hock from pot. Shred the meat, discarding skin and bone, and return meat to the pot. Discard bay leaves. Taste and season with salt as needed. Simmer uncovered for 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 prepared baking dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow cornbread to cool slightly before slicing. Ladle hot soup into bowls and serve with warm cornbread on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It makes your entire kitchen smell like a warm hug, the kind that lingers for days.
  • The soup gets better as it sits, so leftovers are actually more flavorful than the first bowl.
  • Cornbread is foolproof once you stop overthinking it, which means you look like a kitchen genius without the stress.
02 -
  • Don't skip soaking your beans—I learned this the hard way when I tried a shortcut and ended up with soup that took 3+ hours to finish cooking and uneven bean texture.
  • Cornbread batter hates being overworked; stop stirring the moment you don't see dry flour anymore, or you'll end up with something more like cornmeal cake than actual cornbread.
  • The ham hock needs time to truly break down and flavor the entire pot; rushing the 2-hour simmer results in tough meat and thin broth.
03 -
  • Room-temperature ingredients in cornbread batter combine more smoothly and bake more evenly than cold ones straight from the fridge.
  • If you forget to soak beans overnight, use the quick-soak method: boil them for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour before proceeding with the recipe.
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