French Market Soup

By cindygwest

Ingredients

• 3 cups assorted dried beans for soup
• 2 smoked ham hocks
• 12 cups water
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes, undrained
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 pound smoked kielbasa, chopped
• 1-1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup dry red wine or chicken broth
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

Preparation

Step 1

Sort beans and rinse in cold water. Place beans in a Dutch oven; add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1-4 hours or until beans are softened.
Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid; return beans to the pan. Add the ham hocks, water, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3 hours or until beans are tender.
Remove ham hocks; set aside until cool enough to handle. Add the tomatoes, onions, lemon juice, garlic and chili powder to the beans. Simmer 1 hour longer.
Remove ham from bones and cut into cubes; discard bones. Return ham to soup. Stir in the kielbasa, chicken, wine and parsley. Simmer for 30-40 minutes or until heated through and as thick as desired.

Editor's Note
This recipe was tested with Bob’s Red Mill 13-Bean Soup Mix.