Collard greens grow big. Really big. 
The name collard is a shortened form of the word colewort, meaning cabbage plant, and that’s exactly what it is – headless cabbage, but bigger! If you have room, grow some, and when the weather turns grey, make this soup.
In a soup pot on low heat, combine the following ingredients.
(Red Torpedo Onion and Thyme)
- 1/2 lb dried small white beans such as navy or great northern
- 1 smoked ham hock
- 1 whole onion
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 cups chicken broth
Preparation
After simmering for about 1 hour, remove the ham hock and set aside to cool. Remove the onion. Mash the beans with a potato masher or whatever fancy kitchen gadget you have. Add water if the soup gets too thick. Remove ham from the bone and add that back to the soup. Trim the tough stems out of 6-8 collard leaves and discard. Chop collards into one inch pieces and add to soup to simmer for 15 minutes more – they don’t wilt as quickly as other greens. Serve hot with crusty bread.
