Portuguese Bean Soup

Winter is the perfect time to cook up a batch up piping hot soup like this Portuguese Bean Soup recipe. It's very important to use smoked ham hocks for the broth and you want to make sure give yourself plenty of time for this slow cooking process.  This recipe is so simple; it's guaranteed fool-proof!

Portuguese Bean Soup
10-12 servings

Ingredients:
2-3 smoked ham hocks
bay leaf
1 bunch cilantro, reserve some chopped cilantro for garnish
1 large Portuguese sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cans kidney beans
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1/2 cabbage, roughly chopped (optional)
1 cup elbow pasta, cooked al dente (optional)
1 14 oz. can stewed tomatoes
2-3 T Worcestershire sauce
tomato paste (optional)
salt
pepper

Directions:
Put ham hocks, 1 bay leaf and cilantro in a pot and add enough water to cover the ham hocks. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, covered to prevent evaporation. Cook Portuguese sausage in frying pan until slightly browned, then place on paper towel to drain oil.

Remove ham hocks and cilantro from the pot; discard cilantro. Let the ham hocks cook and remove the meat from the bone, cutting into smaller pieces.  Into the pot, add the ham hock meat, Portuguese sausage, kidney beans, garlic, onions, carrots, celery, cabbage, potatoes, stewed tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce.  Let simmer and stir occasionally until potatoes are cooked. Adjust to taste with salt and pepper. You may add tomato paste at this time for thickness, if desired. Add cooked macaroni at the end and turn off heat.  Garnish bowls with cilantro and serve immediately.