Ham Hock Soup Recipes by Angela Hartnett's

This version of a Tuscan bean soup is quite hearty and can certainly be served as a full meal. And it is ideal for eating the next day because the flavour increases.

If you want to cook your own ham hocks, place them in cold water, bring to the boil, then add a carrot, onion, leek and stick of celery (all chopped in half), some thyme and white pepper-corns. Simmer for a couple of hours until you can pick the hocks up and the meat falls from the bone.

Courgettes are at the end of the season, so as we move into autumn, substitute with another vegetable, such as parsnip or pumpkin. To adapt for vegetarians, exclude the ham hock and use vegetable stock or water.

200g ham hock, cooked and shredded 
1 litre ham or chicken stock (or use the liquid from cooking the hocks)
2 carrots peeled and sliced into 5mm thickness
1 large onion peeled and chopped
2 sticks of celery sliced into 5mm lozenges
1 small leek sliced lengthways and then across
1 courgette sliced lengthways and then across
A tin of cannellini beans drained
50g dried pasta
Olive oil
1 tbsp of chopped flat-leaf parsley

Wash the vegetables. Then in a large pan add the olive oil, carrot, onion, leek and celery season with salt and pepper. Sauté for five minutes until they start to soften but without any colour.

Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then add the pasta and cut courgettes. Cook the pasta as per packet instructions. When the pasta is done, add the ham-hock and cannellini and bring to the boil to heat them through.

Add the parsley and a dash of olive oil. Serve with grated parmesan.
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