Ingredients
1 pound dried navy or pea beans
1 smoked ham butt (3–4 pounds)
6 onions, sliced
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 hot pepper (to taste)
1 pound fava or lima beans, or 1 box (10 ounces) frozen limas
4 carrots, sliced
6 white turnips, sliced
1 head cabbage, shredded
1 pound peas or 1 box (10 ounces) frozen peas
Salt and black pepper, to taste
12 to 16 pork sausages
Method
Rinse the dried beans and place them in a large kettle or Dutch oven with about 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. After soaking, return the pot to the stove and simmer until the beans are just tender. Drain if necessary, reserving cooking liquid.
Add the smoked ham butt, sliced onions, chopped garlic, green pepper strips, hot pepper, fava or lima beans, sliced carrots, and sliced turnips. Add additional water or reserved bean cooking liquid so the ingredients are comfortably covered. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, covered, for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally and adding more liquid if the soup becomes too thick.
When the root vegetables and beans have broken down and the mixture is becoming thick and stew-like, stir in the shredded cabbage and peas (fresh or frozen). Continue to simmer until the cabbage and peas are tender and the overall mixture has the texture of a hearty puree. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.
Remove the ham butt from the soup, slice the meat, and keep warm. In a separate skillet, cook the pork sausages until browned and cooked through.
To serve, ladle generous portions of the thick bean and vegetable soup into bowls and top with slices of the warm ham and one or two sausages per serving. Offer crusty bread alongside for soaking up the broth. This is a rustic, filling dish that makes about 4 quarts and is ideal for a cold day or a casual family meal.