A classic ham hock and collard soup with fennel, garlic, and egg noodles. This slow-cooked soup harnesses the flavor of a leftover ham hock.
Updated: November 2023
How do you like to cook? Is it the process or the end result? Are you inspired by the ingredients in their raw states, or only after they’ve been transformed? For some reason, this soup got me thinking about that stuff. Blogging has changed how I cook, and sometimes I worry that it has slowly made food feel like work. This dish took me back to my cooking roots and made us all a little happier.
It was inspired by the things we had on hand – a robust bunch of collards, a bit of fennel, garlic, chives, and a giant ham hock. I took my cues from this potlikker soup, but tried to play up the greenness of the broth. My experiment yielded a a rich, almost winey broth that went beautifully with simple braised collards, egg noodles, and spring’s very first chives. (Did you see that? I mentioned spring.)
A classic ham hock and collard soup with fennel, garlic, and egg noodles. This slow-cooked soup harnesses the flavor of a leftover ham hock.
- 1 large bunch collard greens
- 1 small to medium fennel bulb
- 1 small bunch celery
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 bulb garlic, each clove smashed, peeled, and minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ham hock
- 15 whole peppercorns
- Salt
- 8 cups water
- 2 cups dry egg noodles, cooked to al dente
- 3 tablespoons minced chives
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Remove stems from collards and chop the leaves into thin ribbons (reserve stems). Trim, and cut all but 4 celery stalks into 4 inch segments. Cut the remaining celery into half moon slices and set aside. Halve the fennel, cut out the core, and slice; set aside. Slice stems off parsley and chop the leaves.
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With a sharp knife, score the skin of the ham hock 5 or 6 times.
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In a large Dutch oven or other ample pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the ham hock and sear on all sides. Add collard stems, all of the 4 inch celery stalks, parsley stems and leaves (reserving 1/4 cup of the leaves for garnish), and garlic, and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the water, peppercorns, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
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Bring to a boil, and then turn down to simmer until ham is falling off the bone, about 5 hours. Add water as needed.
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Remove ham hock, set on a cutting board to cool, and then separate the meat from the bone. Trim the fat and skin, and chop the meat. Meanwhile, strain and discard vegetables and spices so you are left with clear broth.
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Return broth to the pot and add chopped ham, collard ribbons, chopped fennel, and celery half moons. Bring mixture to a boil and then turn down to a rapid simmer 20 minutes, or until collards are very tender. As mixture cooks, add salt to taste. Add the cooked egg noodles to the stew in the last 5 minutes, or keep them separate for the best leftovers.
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Ladle stew and egg noodles into bowls. Garnish with parsley leaves, minced chives, and ground black pepper.
I get in the habit of thinking about the outcome rather than the process. But if I take the time to stop myself and meditate on what I have in my pantry and fridge, I find that I can come up with something new and delicious that I hadn’t really considered before. It seems that works for you too, as this soup looks so fresh and wholesome and delicious!
I so relate to that Natasha. And in cooking, I’m all about the process unless I feel like I have to do something and then I get rattled. Next time this happens, I’m going to follow your advice and take a second to collect myself.
It’s just turning to winter down here in the southern hemishpere (kind of) and I have been dreaming of soups like this for so many hot and sweaty months. This looks absolutely delicious, perfect for curling up on the couch with.
PS sorry for saying “sweaty” in my comment.
Hi Sarah, you can say sweaty in my comments anytime. Besides, it’s a major factor in summer cooking (from what I remember anyway – feels like it will never be warm again). Enjoy the onset of chillier weather – that’s my very favorite time of year!
Wow–I pride myself on being a cultured redneck, so this dish is EXACTLY up my alley:). Thanks for sharing it!
Ha! Reeva, So glad you like it! Thanks for stopping by!
When u say strain the broth, what do you mean? What am i straining out? And when do i add the noodles?
delicious, might want include the step where the fennel is added. thanks
Hi KC, I’m so glad you liked the recipe! I updated it a bit to include when to add the fennel (with the collard greens) and also gave to the option to cook the egg noodles separately so they don’t get too soggy as leftovers. Cheers!