Ingredients

• 2 cans kidney beans

• 1 lb ham hock (Bootie used salt pork, Bossy uses the ham bone from a spiral ham)

• 1 lb soup bone (Bootie and Bossy omitted this)

• 1 x onion, minced

• 2 whole cloves

• 1/2 lb celery, sliced (Bootie diced)

• 2 x -3 carrots, sliced (Bootie diced them)

• 1 x potato, cubed (Bootie and Bossy use 4-5 Yukon gold potatoes)

• 1/2 x green pepper, chopped (Bootie and Bossy use red pepper)

• 1 x clove garlic, chopped

• 1 bunch parsley, chopped (Bootie omitted this)

• 3 x peppercorns (Bootie used Szechuan)

• 1 x bay leaf

• 8 ounce tomato sauce

• 12 ounce warm Portuguese sausage, sliced (Bootie used a package of Aidell's chicken and apple sausage; Bossy uses kielbasa or whatever is on sale)

• 1 small cabbage, minced

Directions

 

Add all ingredients except sausage , kidney beans, and cabbage. Then add in 8 c. water. and 2 bouillon cubes or 8 cups chicken stock. Simmer partially covered for 4 to 5 hrs, adding water as necessary. Add in sausage and simmer 30 min. Remove ham hock and soup bone. Remove meat from soup bone and return to stockpot. If possible, chill to degrease (skimming off the fat once it has cooled and congealed). Then reheat and add in cabbage, Kidney beans, and more water, if necessary. Simmer 30 min. This soup gets even better the next day. 

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If you use salt pork, cut the salt pork into 1 inch pieces. Cook it on medium heat with the chopped onions until onions are softened, about 15 minutes. Add other ingredients (except sausage and cabbage). The fat pieces will float to the top and you can take them out before serving. You can slice off any meat from the fat pieces and put it back in the soup. 

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To make it vegetarian, just leave out the meat!