Instant Pot Yellow Eye Bean and Smoked Ham Hock Soup with Braised Collards

Instant Pot Yellow Eye Bean and Smoked Ham Hock Soup

Cooking the hock first extracts its smoky gelatin and tenderizes the meat. Adding soaked beans afterward preserves their shape while letting their starch give the broth a creamy body.

Ingredients

• 12 oz dried Rancho Gordo yellow eye beans, rinsed and picked over
• 1½–2 lb smoked ham hock, verified gluten-free
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cups water, plus more for soaking and adjusting the finished soup
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1–2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• to taste kosher salt

Instructions

1. Cover the beans with at least 3 inches of cool water and soak for 8–12 hours in the refrigerator. Drain and rinse.
2. Select Sauté on a 6-quart or larger Instant Pot. Add the ghee, onion, and celery; cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until softened without much browning. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add the ham hock, bay leaf, 6 cups water, and black pepper. Scrape the bottom clean, cancel Sauté, and seal. Cook on High Pressure for 50 minutes, then allow 15 minutes of natural release before carefully releasing the remaining pressure.
4. Lift out the hock. The meat should pull readily from the bone; if it remains tight and rubbery, pressure-cook it for another 10–15 minutes before proceeding. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking broth for the collards.
5. Add the drained beans to the remaining broth. Keep the contents below the manufacturer's half-full limit for beans and ensure the beans are submerged. Seal and cook on High Pressure for 15 minutes, followed by at least 20 minutes of natural release. Release any remaining pressure slowly; stop and wait longer if liquid sputters.
6. While the beans cook, remove the bones and tough cartilage from the hock. Tear the meat into generous bite-size pieces, retaining tender skin if desired. Reserve about ½ cup chopped meat for the collards.
7. Test several beans: they should be creamy all the way through, without a chalky center. If needed, simmer on Sauté for 5–15 minutes until tender. Remove the bay leaf and return the remaining ham to the soup.
8. Mash about ½ cup of beans against the side of the pot and stir them back in. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, adding hot water if needed for a loose, spoonable consistency. Add 1 teaspoon vinegar, taste, and adjust with more vinegar, pepper, and salt only after accounting for the ham's salinity.

Notes

• Bean age affects cooking time; tenderness matters more than the timer.
• Use water rather than salted stock initially—the hock supplies both smoke and salt.
• The reserved broth and ham are included in this component's quantities and used in the collards below.

Braised Collard Greens with Ham and Cider Vinegar

A gentle braise softens the sturdy leaves and lets them absorb smoky pork broth. Vinegar added near the end lifts the rich pot liquor without losing the greens' earthy character.

Ingredients

• 1½ lb collard greens
• 1 tbsp ghee
• ½ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 cup reserved ham-hock broth from the soup
• ½ cup chopped cooked ham hock meat, reserved from the soup
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, plus more to taste
• to taste kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Strip out the thick collard stems. Wash the leaves thoroughly, then stack and cut into roughly 1-inch ribbons.
2. Heat the ghee in a covered heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6–8 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and stir for 30 seconds.
3. Add the collards in batches, turning until they wilt enough to fit. Pour in the reserved broth and add the chopped ham.
4. Cover and simmer gently for 35–45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the leaves are silky and the thicker ribs are tender. Add a splash of water if the pot begins to dry out.
5. Uncover and simmer for a few minutes if there is excessive liquid; retain enough pot liquor to spoon around the greens. Stir in the vinegar and season with pepper and salt as needed.

Notes

• These are tender braised collards, not briefly sautéed greens; their deeper olive color is expected.
• Taste the broth before adding salt, especially if the hock is heavily cured.

Overall Timing / Workflow

The hock's first pressure cycle produces the broth and meat needed for both dishes. The collards then braise while the beans finish cooking.

Instructions

1. The night before: soak the beans in the refrigerator.
2. 0:00 — Chop the soup aromatics and start the ham-hock pressure cook.
3. During the first pressure cycle: wash and slice the collards and prepare their onion and garlic.
4. About 1:25 — Once the hock is tender, reserve broth for the greens and start the beans in the Instant Pot. Pull the ham from the bone.
5. Start the collard braise on the stovetop with the reserved broth and chopped ham.
6. About 2:10 — Check the beans, return the ham, and adjust the soup's thickness. Finish the collards with vinegar.
7. Serve when the beans are fully creamy and the collards are tender; allow extra time if either needs longer.

Notes

• Pressure buildup varies with appliance size and ingredient temperature; the timeline is approximate.

Plating

Separate bowls preserve the contrast between creamy beans and vinegary greens, while keeping their flavorful broths distinct.

Instructions

1. Ladle the soup into warm shallow bowls, distributing the whole beans and larger pieces of ham evenly.
2. Serve the collards in separate small bowls with a spoonful of their pot liquor.
3. Offer extra cider vinegar and black pepper at the table.

Leftover Path

Both dishes develop deeper flavor overnight. Storing them separately makes it easy to control the soup's thickening and preserve the greens' acidity.

Instructions

1. Transfer soup and collards to separate shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Keep refrigerated for up to 4 days.
2. Reheat the soup gently with a splash of water, stirring from the bottom, until it reaches 165°F. Taste before adding more salt or vinegar.
3. Reheat collards with their pot liquor until they reach 165°F, then refresh with a few drops of cider vinegar.
4. Freeze either component in meal-size portions for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.