Spanish Bean Soup (Potaje de Garbanzos)

I love bean soup and will surely try this recipe.

Adapted from Clarita's Cocina

Serves 6-8

Tina gets leftover hambones from a local HoneyBaked Ham outpost, which I think is a genius idea considering most folks don't have a hambone laying around. (I know I don't.) Give your grocery store a call before you go; not all the stores carry them. You can substitute a smoked ham hock if you can't get a hambone.

Also, Saffron is traditional to Spanish bean soup, however I did see a few recipes that called for sazón, a seasoning blend, instead.

1 pound dried garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
8 ounces good-quality bacon or salt pork, chopped
1 (6-8 ounce) leftover hambone or smoked ham hock
8 ounces beef stew bones
8 ounces Spanish chorizo, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 ripe tomato, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
Chicken stock or water, to cover (or mix of both)
Pinch of saffron threads
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
Kosher salt and pepper

Wash garbanzo beans in cold water, discarding any beans with visible inperfections. Cover with 3 inches of salted water and soak overnight. Drain and rinse the beans thoroughly and set aside.

In a large Dutch oven, combine the bacon, hambone, beef bones, onion, tomato, green pepper, garlic, and bay leaf. Cover with two inches of chicken stock (or water) and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam as needed. Cover and lower heat to a gentle simmer.

Cook for 30 minutes, then add the reserved beans. Bring to a boil again, cover, and return to a simmer for another 30 minutes. Stir in the saffron and cook for an additional 30 minutes, or until the beans are tender but not overcooked. Remove the ham and beef bones, shredding and returning any meat left on the bones. (Tina scrapes out the marrow from the beef bones, as well. She said it melts in the soup like butter!)

Add the potatoes and season with salt. Cover and cook until the potatoes are cooked through, another 30 minutes. Season to taste.