Appalachian Soup Beans {Pinto Bean Soup}

Simple, hearty, and smoky, soup beans are a traditional Appalachian supper that folks have made for generations. Dried pinto beans simmer low and slow with bacon, a ham hock, and a few aromatics until they’re tender and thick. Make them in a Dutch oven or a Crock Pot, and serve with cornbread for a taste of the mountain South!

Before You Get Started

A pot of beans is about as forgiving as cooking gets, but three things separate creamy and tender from tough and bland:

1. Soak the beans overnight. Dried beans need the long soak to cook evenly. It also cuts the simmer time and keeps fewer skins from splitting open.
2. Wait to add the salt. Ham hocks are already salty, and salting early makes beans take longer to soften. Season near the end, once you can taste it.
3. Keep the beans covered in liquid. More water cooks off than you’d expect. Check as you stir and add warm water so the beans stay submerged.

How to Make Soup Beans

Soup beans aren’t quite the same thing as bean soup. Bean soup is brothy, while soup beans cook down thick and creamy from the starch the beans release as they soften. You can make them in a Dutch oven on the stovetop, which is what’s shown here, or in the slow cooker.

Step 1: Soak the Beans

Put the beans in a large bowl or pot and cover them with cold water by about 2 inches. Cover and let them sit overnight, then drain and rinse. They’ll roughly double in size, so give them room.

⇢ Forgot to soak? Quick soak instead. Rinse the beans, cover with cold water in a large pot, and bring to a boil. Boil uncovered for 5 minutes, pull the pot off the heat, and let them sit in the hot water for 1 hour. Drain, rinse, and carry on.

Step 2: Fry the Bacon

Cook the chopped bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 7 to 8 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to move it to a paper towel lined plate, and leave about 2 tablespoons of drippings in the pot. Pour off anything beyond that, or the finished beans turn greasy.

The bacon does two jobs here. The drippings build a smoky base for the vegetables, and the crisp pieces go on top at the end.

Step 3: Cook the Vegetables

Add the onion and celery to the drippings and cook over medium-high heat until they start to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds more, stirring the whole time so it doesn’t scorch.

Pour in 1 cup of the broth and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. That’s where a lot of the bacon flavor is hiding, so don’t skip it.

Step 4: Add the Beans and Ham Hock

Add the soaked beans, the remaining 3 cups of broth, the ham hock, bay leaf, thyme, and black pepper. Hold off on the salt. Pour in enough cold water to cover everything by about 2 inches and give it a good stir.

The ham hock is doing the heavy lifting on flavor. Over a long simmer it releases smoke, salt, and enough collagen to give the broth real body.

⇢ No ham hock? Use another smoked cut. A smoked ham bone, smoked sausage, smoked turkey wings, or smoked pork neck bones all work. You want something smoked and a little fatty.

Step 5: Simmer Until Tender

Bring the pot to a boil, then drop the heat to low or medium-low so it’s at a gentle simmer. Partially cover with the lid so some steam escapes, and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring now and then. Stirring keeps the beans from sticking and helps release the starch that thickens the pot.

Stir in about a teaspoon of salt, then keep simmering for another 30 to 45 minutes until the beans are tender. Check the water level as you go and add more if the beans start to look dry.

Ninety minutes is usually plenty. If you like them really broken down and creamy, let them go longer.

⇢ Make it vegetarian: Skip the bacon and ham hock, sauté the vegetables in olive oil, and use vegetable broth. Add a few drops of liquid smoke, some smoked paprika, or a little cumin to get that smoky depth back.

Step 6: Mash and Season

Fish out the ham hock, bay leaf, and thyme sprig and discard them. If there’s good meat on the hock, pull it off and stir it back in.

Use the back of a spoon or a potato masher to mash some of the beans against the side of the pot. This is what turns a pot of beans into soup beans, no cream required. Taste, then add more salt and pepper if it needs it.

⇢ Want it thicker? Simmer with the lid all the way off for the last stretch so more liquid evaporates, mash more of the beans, or blitz a portion with an immersion blender.

Step 7: Garnish and Serve

Ladle the beans into bowls and top them. Crispy bacon, chopped raw onion or ramps, and chow chow are traditional, and a dash of hot sauce, a splash of apple cider vinegar, or a squeeze of lemon adds a bright note that cuts the richness.

If you’re not familiar with chow chow, it’s a tangy Southern pickled relish made from cabbage, green tomatoes, and peppers. A spoonful on top of a bowl of beans is about as Appalachian as it gets.

Slow Cooker Option

Soak the beans, fry the bacon, and cook the vegetables exactly as written in steps 1 through 3. Transfer the vegetables and broth to a 6-quart slow cooker, then add the beans, remaining broth, ham hock, bay leaf, thyme, and pepper. Cover with cold water by 2 inches.

Cook on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours or on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, until tender. Season with about a teaspoon of salt during the last hour or two. If you want a thicker pot, take the lid off for the final couple of hours. Finish with steps 6 and 7.

What to Serve with Soup Beans

Cornbread is the best side to pair with this dish! A skillet of cornbread for sopping up the pot likker is most traditional, and it’s what most people picture when they think of soup beans. Jiffy corn muffins with sour cream are worth considering if you like a little sweetness against all that smoke.

From there, a pot of greens and something starchy rounds out the plate the way it’s been done in the mountains for generations.

• Southern Corn Sticks
• Fried Cabbage
• Southern Collard Greens
• Cathead Biscuits
• Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes

Storage

Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. They’ll thicken as they cool and taste even better the next day, so this is a good one to make ahead.

Freezer: Let the beans cool to room temperature, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. They freeze beautifully, so a big pot is never wasted.

Reheating: Warm on the stovetop over low heat until heated through, or microwave individual bowls for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in a splash of broth or water to loosen them back up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use canned beans instead of dried?

Yes, and it’s a good shortcut when you forget to soak. Use four 15-ounce cans of pinto or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed, and skip straight to frying the bacon. Add the beans with the broth and ham hock, then simmer for about 30 minutes instead of 90.

You lose a little depth, since canned beans don’t soak up the smoky broth the way dried ones do, so give the pot a longer simmer if you have the time.

Why are my beans still hard?

Nine times out of ten the beans are old. Dried beans sitting in the pantry for a year or more can simmer all afternoon and never fully soften, so buy from a store with good turnover. Salting too early does it too, which is why the salt goes in near the end here. Very hard tap water can also slow things down. If your beans are stubborn, keep simmering and add hot water as needed. They’ll usually get there.

Can I use a different bean instead of pinto?

Absolutely. Pintos are traditional, and they’re called brown beans in the mountains, but Great Northern beans, navy beans, butter beans, and black eyed peas all work. Just watch the timing, since smaller white beans and black eyed peas cook faster than pintos and can turn to mush if you walk away. Start checking those about 20 minutes early.

Do I need both the bacon and the ham hock?

They’re doing different jobs, so I’d keep both if you can. The bacon gives you drippings to cook the vegetables in and a crisp garnish at the end, while the ham hock delivers the deep smoky flavor and the body that makes the broth feel rich. If you only have one, go with the ham hock. You can sauté the vegetables in olive oil and still end up with a great pot of beans.

More Southern Bean and Ham Recipes

• The Best Bean Soup Recipe
• Southern Ham Bone Soup
• Black Eyed Peas (with Bacon)
• Southern Black Eyed Pea Soup
• Ranch Style Beans