An island tradition that celebrates our fiftieth state and America's favorite vacation destination. Mix includes a miniature bottle of Tabasco Hot Sauce. Serves 10-12.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 2 hours 45 minutes

Contents:  Dried beans, spices, black pepper, garlic and onion powder, chili pepper, ginger.

Hawaiian Sunset Portuguese Bean Soup

Ingredients to have on hand

2 qts. Cold water

1/2 -3/4 lb. smoked ham hock

½ lb. Portuguese linguica or spicy sausage

1 tsp. fresh garlic, minced

2 c. onions, chopped

1 c. celery – 3 stalks, chopped (include some leaves)

Spice packet 9included)

2 c. carrots, sliced

3 c. russet baking potatoes, chopped

4 c. cabbage (1/4 medium head), chopped

1 – 15 oz. can tomato sauce

Contents of small sauce bottle (included)

1 tsp. salt

½ c. small pasta shapes or broken spaghetti (optional)

Directions

1)   Carefully sort through and wash the beans.  Soak beans for four hours or overnight in water to cover by 2”

2)   The next day, drain and rinse the beans. In a large pot (8 qt. capacity) combine the beans, the water, and the ham hock.  Cover and begin to bring beans to a boil.  Slice sausage in half, lengthwise and then into ¼ pieces.  In a large skillet on medium heat sauté the sausage 3-5 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, place the sausage into the soup pot.  Drain all but 1 tsp. fat from skillet and sauté garlic, onions, celery, and 1 tsp. of spice.  Sauté until onions turn translucent (about 5 minutes).  Place vegies into soup pot along with remaining spices.  Finish bringing soup to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low and cook soup for 1 ½ hours.

3)   Add carrots, potatoes, and cabbage to soup along with the tomato sauce, contents of small bottle and salt.  Bring soup back to boil.  Reduce heat to medium low and cook for additional 1 hour.  Remove ham hock from soup and place on a clean cutting board.  Discard bones and fat.  Dice meat and return to soup.

4)   On some of the islands they add ½ c. of small shaped pasta to this recipe at this point.  Add pasta and simmer soup for additional 10 minutes.  Remove soup from heat and refrigerate overnight.

The next day call your local travel agent and start planning that dream vacation to America’s paradise.  For dinner serve piping hot bowls of this wonderful island favorite along with a papaya and mango salad, and Portuguese sweet bread.  For dessert serve pineapple upside down cake along with fresh brewed Kona coffee.  ‘Ai Ono’ which means “Good Eating” in Hawaiian.

Serves 10-12.  Enjoy!

Contents:  Dried beans, spices, black pepper, garlic and onion powder, chili pepper, ginger.