Spicy Black Bean Soup

New Year's. The transition from 2016 to 2017 happened while I was standing in my backyard at midnight, holding a beer in one hand and tongs in the other, grilling midnight snacks for the small gathering Jessica organized: Orozco and his wife, Dave and his wife from next door, and my parents. Jessica had champagne. My mom had sparkling cider. My dad had sparkling water because Elena is watching him, always watching him, with the vigilance of a woman who has decided her husband will live to be a hundred whether he likes it or not.

I grilled carne asada at midnight because if you're going to start a new year, you should start it with fire and meat and the people you love standing close enough to feel the warmth. The meat was perfect — charred on the outside, pink in the middle, the marinade (lime, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño) doing what it always does. We ate standing up, with our fingers, in the Arizona night that was cool enough for jackets — maybe 55 degrees, which is what passes for winter here. Sofia was asleep inside, mercifully unaware that the world had decided to increment a number and celebrate.

I don't do resolutions. Firefighters don't make promises to calendars. But I have goals for 2017, and they are: compete in at least four BBQ competitions and improve on my seventh-place state finish. Figure out the chicken — it's still my weakest category. Cook more fish (Jessica's been asking, and she's right that our diet is too meat-heavy, even if admitting this feels like betrayal). Build a covered patio over the grill area before next summer, because standing in 115-degree sun is a young man's game and I turned thirty-one last year. And — the big one — start a family conversation about baby number two. Jessica brought it up in August. We haven't talked about it since. The door is open. I need to walk through it.

Made a black-eyed pea soup on New Year's Day — tradition says black-eyed peas on January 1st bring good luck. I don't know if I believe in luck. I believe in showing up, doing the work, and letting the results come. But I also believe in soup, and this one — smoky ham hock, black-eyed peas, collard greens, onion, garlic, a splash of apple cider vinegar at the end — tasted like a promise. Here's to 2017. Here's to the next year of fire, smoke, and the people who make both worth enduring.

The black-eyed pea soup I made that New Year’s Day stuck with me — not just the taste, but what it felt like to stand over a pot of something slow and smoky after a midnight full of fire and noise. This spicy black bean soup carries the same spirit: a smoked ham hock for depth, dark greens for substance, and that hit of apple cider vinegar at the finish that cuts through the richness and makes the whole thing feel like a reset. When black-eyed peas aren’t on hand, black beans hold up the tradition just fine — and on a cool Arizona January morning, this is exactly the kind of pot I want on the stove while the new year finds its footing.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 30 min | Total Time: 1 hr 50 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 smoked ham hock (about 1 lb)
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch collard greens, stems removed, leaves chopped into 1-inch ribbons
1 medium yellow onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeños, seeded and minced (leave seeds in for more heat)
1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Salt to taste
Sour cream, sliced scallions, and lime wedges for serving

Instructions

Simmer the ham hock. Place the ham hock in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with 6 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes until the meat begins to loosen from the bone.
Remove and shred. Transfer the ham hock to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bone in rough chunks, discarding the skin and bone. Set the shredded meat aside; reserve all the broth in the pot.
Build the base. In a separate skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 5–6 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and jalapeño and cook another 2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the cumin, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, oregano, and black pepper and cook 1 minute more.
Combine and cook. Add the onion mixture and fire-roasted tomatoes to the pot with the reserved broth. Stir in the drained black beans and shredded ham hock meat. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
Add the greens. Stir in the chopped collard greens in batches, pushing them down into the liquid. Simmer an additional 15–20 minutes until the collards are tender but still have some body.
Mash for texture. Using a potato masher or the back of a large spoon, roughly mash about 1/4 of the beans directly in the pot to thicken the broth. Stir to incorporate.
Finish and season. Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Taste and adjust salt. The vinegar is the move — don’t skip it. Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream, scallions, and a squeeze of lime.

Nutrition (per serving)

Spicy Black Bean Soup — A New Year’s Promise in a Bowl