This might belong on the Chili thread (I’d link to it, but so far haven’t found it sigh).
Mixed Bean and Vegetable Chili
Vegetable oil
- 1-2 lbs vegan chorizo (prefer Upton’s Naturals)
- 2-3 onions, diced
- 1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and minced
- 3+ Tbls ground cumin
- 2+ Tbls chili powder (adjust depending on heat)
- 3-4 bell peppers, diced (prefer red and orange)
- 3 zucchini, diced
- 2 small eggplant, diced
- ~ 9 cups of cooked beans (canned or cooked from dried - black, kidney, pinto, etc.)
- 1-2 lbs frozen corn kernels
In large stockpot sauté the chorizo in oil until cooked through.
Add diced onion, sauté until translucent, then add minced garlic, cumin, and chili powder and cook until very fragrant (couple of minutes).
Add remaining ingredients, stir well to incorporate, then add water to cover by an inch or two, cover pot with lid and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce heat to low simmer, skim if necessary, and allow to cook for … a while. Stir occasionally and add water as needed.
Good on night made, better after cooking and reheating. Thickens well.
I’m making a stew riff off this soup, omitting the ham hocks. I’ll use some cooked sausage I already had on hand.
The ingredients include pumpkin pie spice. My cousin gave me the cookbook.
The Hawaiian Portuguese bean stew riff with kale and shell pasta, and the bean stew riff without kale and without shell pasta.
I didn’t mind it but one DC found it bland/boring. We will probably add hot sauce to the leftovers and maybe also chile flakes and lemon.
That seems unnecessarily complicated.
I much prefer ham hocks to bacon or salt pork and I’ve never seen bay leaves added.
I use dried red chiles, not fresh green.
Interesting.
But we never tried to duplicate being cooked over an open fire.
I don’t really use ham hocks in my cooking.
I’ve been using bacon.
Some other charros recipes call for hot dogs or chorizo in addition to the ham hocks or bacon.
I guess whatever works. 
I throw a bay leaf into most bean recipes.
This is the recipe I saw that called for 4 types of meat.
This one calls for bacon and hot dogs.
The ham hocks add the smoked essence without the salt of bacon or salt pork.
I’ve made them with a variety of meats and always return to my trusty hocks
Don’t know if I’m adventurous enough to do the bay leaf. Seems like it would make them lean towards Italian which I do like in white beans.
@bbqboy @Phoenikia My dad’s side of the family is Czech and although my Czech grandparents died before I was born, my paternal grandmother taught my mom a few familiar recipes when she and my dad were first married. One dish included making bean soups with ham hocks. I shop frequently at an Eastern European deli and whenever I buy a ham hock there, the first question they ask is “are you making soup?” It seems to be a standard ingredient in soups if you are Eastern European 
And I agree with @bbqboy the ham hock adds a smoked essence to the beans.
Similar uses to pinto and cannelini. Would be good for a puree / dip too (bean mash / hummus). Veg kababs also.
Yep. And here is a link to the Rancho Gordo page with information and recipes:
Bay leaf is also common in Greek and Polish beans. I also use it to marinate Russian Shashlik.
Bay doesn’t make things taste Italian or less Mexican.
I’m sure the ham hock does add a smoked essence to the beans.
I’m not too crazy about most smoked stuff, other than bacon and smoked salmon. I like German smoked pork hock or German roasted pork hock once in a blue moon.
Enjoy the pork hock beans and soups. They sound good, but aren’t my thing.
I’ve recently used them in white chicken chile. I think I cooked them like this, according to a link a few days prior. They are also known as Peruano beans.
I think of them as long cooking, but it probably depends on how fresh they are. I get them in a bulk bin at a Mexican market.
Gigantes with dill, garlic, and white wine. No tomato.
With tomato
It is forecast to be pretty cool next week, and I have several chicken sausages, some char-grilled chicken thighs, and a bag of navy beans. True to the roots and heritage of cassoulet, using cheap things on hand, I plan to make a cassoulet of these ingredients, none of which would appear in an Anna Willan recipe but all of which ought to be fine in my cassole.
I am experimenting with the remaining pigeon peas. This is a"jump to" a recipe for pigeon peas in coconut cream" with "Indian chile powde, turmeric, whole chile, (jalapeño or serrano), garlic paste, green chile paste and/or sambal oelek, lemon juice,coriander leaves.
I have already cooked some with Caribbean green seasoning and guanciale. Would this guanciale (brown sugar, garlic, juniper berries, black pepper, bay leaves, nutmeg) “fight” with the above?
This is about Khoja Ismaili Cuisine
