BLACK BEAN SOUP w/HAM HOCK DUMPLINGS

By BobD

Ingredients

• 10 SERVINGS
• FROM EMERIL
• 4 ham hocks (10 to 12 ounces each)
• 1 cup chopped yellow onions
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 6 quarts water
• 1 pound dried black beans, rinsed and picked over
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped canned chiles in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg beaten
• 1/4 cup beer
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Details

Servings 10
Adapted from cooking.com

Preparation

Step 1

Combine the ham hocks, onions, carrots, celery, and water in a large pot and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the meat starts to fall from the bones, about 1 1/2 hours. Strain the stock through a colander into a clean pot. Set the ham hocks aside.

Add the black beans, chiles, cumin, and chili powder to the stock and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium and cook at a brisk simmer until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the salt during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

While the beans are cooking, remove the meat from the ham hocks and coarsely chop. Reserve 1/2 cup of the meat and add the rest to the black beans.

When the beans are nearly done, combine the 1/2 cup reserved meat with the flour, egg, beer, baking powder, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Mix to make a dough.

To form the dumplings, drop the dough by the tablespoonful on top of the soup. You should have 10 dumplings. Cover and cook until the dumplings are set, 2 to 3 minutes.

To serve, spoon 1 dumpling into each soup bowl and ladle about 1 cup of soup over it.