PORTUGUESE BEAN SOUP

The soup all Hawaiians love to eat besides Oxtails is Portuguese Bean Soup, a blend of ingredients, herbes, spices, but it is no doubt the meat, the hamhocks, and Portuguese sausage, and of course the beans. Here's a simple recipe for Portuguese Bean Soup, all you need is a knife, and a pot to fit all of this in.

Ingredients:
2-4 good sized ham hocks that's smoked
20 oz. of spicy Portuguese sausage, chopped
20 oz. of spicy Portuguese sausage, thinly sliced
1 round onion chopped
1 1/2 cups of chopped celery
About a cup or so of chopped carrots
2 medium potatoes diced- or yams is delicious too
1/2 pound of chopped head cabbage
1 pound of soaked kidney beans, or 2 cans of it, the large cans are about 15 oz. if using canned, save the liquid
1 lb. of diced Roma tomatoes
1/2 cup of tomato paste
4 garlic cloves minced
Fresh cilantro or fresh parsley 1 1/2 cup chopped
2 bay leaves broken in half
Salt and fresh black pepper to taste

In a large pot (stainless steel) do not use nonstick!  add in the hamhocks, onions, cilantro or parsley, garlic, the bay leaves, and some fresh black pepper.

Add in filtered water covering the hocks by about 3 to 4 inches, bring to a boil, then lower to simmer, cover the pot and simmer for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, the meat will fall off of the bones, and add flavor to the water, or now the stock. When done, remove the hocks and meat and let it cool, and then dice it up.

Add about 6-8 cups of water to the pot, and bring to a boil, and let it go over medium heat, add in the remaining ingredients, cook for about 15 minutes, then lower to a simmer, add in the chopped hocks, and simmer for another 30 minutes to 45 minutes.

When done it is important to taste for the salt content, add salt and fresh pepper to taste.

This should serve at least 6-8 people, if you want more soup or liquid, add in more water, but the flavors will weaken. If you are to serve lots of people, just multiply the ingredients.

Big local gatherings have huge pots going on all at the same time.