Black Eye Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 smoked pork knuckle
• 0.5 cups of rice mixture
• 1.5 cups frozen chopped kale, thawed
• 450 g dry black-eyed beans (about 2.5 cups)
• 5 thick slices of bacon
• 2 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 1 onion, diced into large cubes
• 2 carrots, cut into large cubes
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 cups lightly salted chicken broth

Preparation:

1. Sort the beans and rinse under cold water. Place the beans in a 5-quart (5-liter) saucepan and cover with 5 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat; cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 1 hour.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, 6-8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Once cool, crumble it and set aside. Add the rendered bacon fat to the olive oil, then add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the kale and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add the vegetables to the pot along with the chicken broth, ham hock, crumbled bacon, rice, and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the peas and rice are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
4. Remove the pork knuckle from the cauldron. Remove the skin and bone. Cut the meat into small pieces and return it to the cauldron. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.