Mom's Portuguese Bean Soup

    One of my favorite things about Christmas time is my mom would make a big pot of her Portuguese Bean Soup.  Making soup in Hawaii is a big deal because it is hot, even in December, so we all relished this holiday treat.  The hardest part about this recipe is finding ham hocks (ankle joint of the pig).

     Most stores do carry them (Safeway, Raley's), you just have to figure out where they put them. I've found them with the other pork cuts, in the frozen aisle and sometimes they are in the back freezers.  Once you've got those, you are ready to go!

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs of ham hock

3 large potatoes, diced

2 large carrots, diced

1 onion, diced

1 head of cabbage, shredded

1 lb of Portuguese sausage diced  (also call linguica)

2 16 oz can of tomato sauce

2 15 oz cans of kidney beans

Preparation:

• In a soup pot add ham hocks and 2 quarts of water.  Boil for 2-3 hours, until hocks can be easily pulled apart

• Remove meat from bones (there will not be a lot of meat) and return meat to broth.

• Add veggies, sausage and tomato sauce. Add another quart of water, if needed. Simmer for 1-2 hours until veggies are tender.

• Salt and pepper to taste.

     This recipe makes a lot of soup, but it does freeze well. Also, I don't add in the beans. As a child, I had to pick out the beans. Now I make my own soup and it is just the way I like it!