Portuguese Bean Soup

Portuguese Bean Soup is good all the time, any time! On a chilly night,  I love to eat a bowl of this soup over steamed white rice. Or on any occasion when I'm craving a meal of hearty soup.  The best thing about making this soup is that you end up with a huge pot that you can share with family and friends, or with leftovers you can enjoy the next day and even freeze some for a later time. 

2-3 medium sized smoked ham hocks or ham shanks, frozen
1 pound Portuguese sausage, chopped
1 medium sized white or sweet onion, coarsely chopped
3 medium sized potatoes, cubed
1 cup baby carrots, chopped in half

2 cups or handfuls of coarsely chopped cabbage
1 cup elbow macaroni
2 14.5-ounce cans chicken broth
2 15-ounce cans kidney beans with liquid
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch cilantro (Chinese parsley), coarsely chopped
salt & pepper to taste
3-4 dried bay leaves

In large stock pot, start cooking frozen ham hocks in a tablespoon of vegetable oil.   Add onion, garlic, two-thirds of the chopped cilantro, black peppercorns, bay leaves and salt for flavor. Then add chicken broth and just enough water to cover the ham hocks completely.  Bring water to a boil, then lower to simmer.  Slow simmer covered for at least 2 hours until ham hock meat is falls off the bone easily.  This process creates the soup stock.  Remove the ham hocks and de-bone, dice and set aside. Remove bay leaves. Skim any fat.  Fry portuguese sausage and blot excess oil with a paper towel. 
Add to the soup stock that's still simmering: tomato paste, diced tomatoes, potatoes and carrots. Cook together for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are al dente.  Then add portuguese sausage and ham hock meat. Simmer for another 5 minutes.  Then add kidney beans, and elbow macaroni. Simmer on low heat until soup starts to boil.Then simmer for another 5 minutes; then add the cabbage right before you turn off the heat.   Serve topped with remaining chopped cilantro.  En-Joy with a slice of portuguese sweet bread or over a bowl of hot rice!