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    Home » Hawaii Recipes

    Portuguese Bean Soup

    Published: Feb 22, 2020 · Modified: Jun 5, 2024 by Kathy · This post may contain affiliate links · 57 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Portuguese Bean Soup is a popular local Hawaii soup. The key ingredients are Portuguese sausage, smoked ham hocks, and macaroni. It's a hearty soup that can easily be a meal!

    Portuguese Bean Soup, ready to serve and eat.

    What Is Portuguese Bean Soup?

    Ahh, Portuguese Bean Soup! This is the stuff of dreams.

    Portuguese Bean Soup is an iconic local Hawaii (not Hawaiian - here's the difference) dish made from a stock of smoked ham hocks. You boil the ham hocks in water for a few hours. Then chop off all the meat and skin, and add it back to the pot with other ingredients like Portuguese sausage, red kidney beans, potatoes, onions, carrots, cabbage, and macaroni noodles.

    Ingredients for Portuguese Bean Soup (forgot to include the tomato sauce in this photo ^_^)

    The red color of the the soup comes from tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and you're ready to eat. The soup has real nice deep smoky notes thanks to the ham hocks. Make sure to use smoked ham hocks.

    It's a simple, hearty soup that warms you up all the way. A bowl of this soup makes for an ideal easy weekday lunch. Make a big batch on the weekend, and you'll have soup for the week.

    Four-pack Redondo's Portuguese sausage from Costco

    Portuguese Sausage

    Portuguese sausage is a type of pork sausage that is popular in Hawaii. It was brought to Hawaii by the Portuguese in the 1800s (where it's still called linguiça), and is an important part of everyday local food in Hawaii. The sausage made from pork and seasoned with paprika and garlic. Redondo's Portuguese Sausage is the most popular brand locally.

    You can find Portuguese sausage on breakfast plates at McDonald's Hawaii and Zippy's and even Liliha Bakery. You'll see Portuguese sausage for sale everywhere in Hawaii. There are four-stick packs at Costco (best deal!) and individual sticks Longs Drugs and all the supermarkets. Many families keep a few sticks of Portuguese sausage in the fridge...it often comes in handy.

    Outside of Hawaii, you can sometimes find Portuguese sausage for sale at Japanese or Chinese supermarkets. I've seen it at Nijiya in San Francisco.

    Line for Portuguese Bean Soup at the Punahou Carnival

    Portuguese Bean Soup in Hawaii

    Portuguese bean soup is one of those local dishes that everyone makes at home. For example, I just made a giant pot on Sunday, and we'll just warm up a bowl of this soup for breakfast/snack/lunch over the next few days. So while Portuguese bean soup is a popular dish, you won't find this soup offered at many restaurants.

    Portuguese Bean Soup from the Punahou Carnival

    However there are a few spots that do serve this soup:

    • Punahou Carnival (Oahu) - Punahou Carnival takes places just once a year, but the Portuguese bean soup here so good that people buy many giant containers of the soup to keep in the freezer.
    • Zippy's (Oahu, Maui, Big Island) - Zippy's is a great place to sample all the local Hawaii dishes (it's also a super casual spot good for takeout). They serve the Portuguese bean soup with crackers on the side.
    • Honey Glazed Hams Of Hawaii (Oahu) - This local ham shop has been around forever and for good reason...the glazed hams are amazing! They are extra busy during the holiday season, but you can visit year round for ham, really good sandwiches, and Portuguese bean soup made from their own smoked ham hocks. One of the best in the island, a real semi-hidden gem.

    Portuguese Bean Soup Ingredients

    Ready to make Portuguese Bean Soup? Ok, here are the ingredients you'll need:

    • Smoked ham hocks
    • Onions
    • Carrots
    • Potatoes
    • Canned kidney beans
    • Diced tomatoes
    • Tomato sauce
    • Portuguese sausage stick
    • Head of cabbage (napa or green)
    • Macaroni noodles

    Now let's get cooking!

    Portuguese Bean Soup Instructions

    First, make the ham hock stock: put the ham hocks in a large pot with 2.5 quarts of water. Bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat down to low.

    Put on a lid on top, and let cook on low for 1.5 hours.

    Smoked ham hocks, after boiling in water for 1.5 hours.

    Smoked ham hocks, after boiling in water for 1.5 hours.

    After 1.5 hours, remove the ham hocks from the pot and place in a bowl (keep the stock on the stove at low heat).

    Let the ham hocks cool for about 5-10 minutes. You don't want to burn you fingers, the meat is hot inside.

    Meat and skin chopped from the boiled, smoked ham hocks. This all goes back into the soup.

    Meat and skin chopped from the boiled, smoked ham hocks. This all goes back into the soup.

    Once the ham hocks have cooled, cut off the meat and skin from the bone. The meat should pull off pretty easily.

    Dice all the meat and skin into small pieces and set aside.

    All the canned items you'll need for Portuguese Bean Soup.

    All the canned items you'll need for Portuguese Bean Soup.

    Skim the fat off the top of the ham hock stock. Bring the stock back to a boil and add the cans of diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.

    Bring the soup back to a boil, and add the diced ham hocks back in. Then add the diced onions, carrots, and potatoes.

    Bring the soup back to a boil, and add in the kidney beans, Portuguese sausage, cabbage, and macaroni noodles.

    Let the soup cook on medium-low heat for another 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and lots of pepper. Enjoy!

    Portuguese Bean Soup Recipe

    Portuguese Bean Soup

    4.57 from 197 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours hours
    Total Time: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
    Author: Kathy Chan

    Ingredients

    • 1.5 pounds smoked ham hocks about 4 pieces
    • 1 large onion diced
    • 2 large carrots diced
    • 2 large potatoes diced
    • 2 15- ounce cans kidney beans
    • 1 15- ounce can diced tomatoes
    • 1 15- ounce can tomato sauce
    • 1 10- ounce Portuguese sausage stick
    • 1 small head of cabbage napa or green, chopped
    • 1 cup macaroni pasta uncooked

    Instructions

    • First, make the ham hock stock: put the ham hocks in a large pot with 2.5 quarts of water. Bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat down to low. Put on a lid on top, and let cook on low for 1.5 hours.
    • Remove the ham hocks to a cutting board and let cool. Once cooled, cut off the meat and skin from the bone. Dice the meat and skin into small pieces and set aside.
    • Skim the fat off the top of the ham hock stock. Bring the stock back to a boil and add in the cans of diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.
    • Bring the soup back to a boil, and add the diced ham hocks back in. Then add the diced onions, carrots, and potatoes. 
    • Bring the soup back up to a boil, and add in the kidney beans, Portuguese sausage, cabbage, and macaroni noodles.
    • Let the soup cook on medium-low heat for another 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and lots of pepper. Enjoy!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tayezha

      January 09, 2024 at 10:09 pm

      Wonderful Portuguese Bean paste

      Reply
    2. Lei

      December 26, 2023 at 11:41 am

      Question... When do you add the Portuguese sausage? It doesn't say in your recipe... hmmmm

      Reply
    3. Laura

      November 20, 2023 at 3:30 pm

      Hi! Do you drain the kidney beans?

      Reply
      • Kathy

        November 21, 2023 at 8:20 am

        Yes! Thanks for checking 🙂

        Reply
    4. Art

      September 24, 2023 at 2:51 pm

      Better than sex with twins!

      Reply
      • Jane

        October 29, 2023 at 8:52 am

        Depends on the twins~

        Reply
    5. arthur

      May 25, 2023 at 7:39 pm

      we make it with the beans with linguica pork feet and other pork meats my maud is watering right now love it

      Reply
    6. Bobby Generik

      May 14, 2023 at 5:10 am

      Kinda seems like Azorean Kale soup without the kale. Lol. And btw, linguica and chourico are WIDELY available in Southern New England (predominately Mass and RI).

      Reply
    7. kayla

      February 26, 2023 at 3:57 pm

      perfect dish for a cold night or for a pot luck/ohana style dinner. feeds the whole family. i also use the purity brand portugese sausage instead. ono with a side of sweet bread, my keiki loves the kings hawaiian brand.

      Reply
      • Kathy

        February 28, 2023 at 1:06 pm

        Aloha Kayla - Totally agree! Oh yes Portuguese bean soup is always super ono with sweet bread...I like the bread a little toasted heheh 🙂
        - Kathy

        Reply
    8. Lynette

      February 24, 2023 at 3:14 pm

      My grandma from Terceira made this with linguica only and didn’t add tomatoes or tomato sauce. My mom makes it the same way and now I do as well. I’m making our version tonight, but will add tomato sauce because it sounds fun. Looking forward to trying it this way. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Kathy

        February 28, 2023 at 1:05 pm

        Aloha Lynette! Oh wow your version sounds super delicious! I will give that a try next time for sure. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
        - Kathy

        Reply
    9. Anna

      January 09, 2023 at 12:13 pm

      FYI: if you live in Southern Calif. you can get the Redondo Portuguese sausage at Tokyo Central. Not sure if they have up North but, their are many locations here in Southern Cal.

      Reply
      • arthur

        May 25, 2023 at 7:44 pm

        @Anna, here in san jose california have many brands of linguica silvas goularts fernandes and we make it home made thats the best

        Reply
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    Aloha, I'm Kathy!

    I'm a born and raised Hawaii local who loves everything about Hawaii (especially the food). I’m excited to share recipes from our island home, favorite restaurants, and Hawaii travel tips ^_^

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