I’ve never been much of a soul food fanatic, but southern-style butter beans served over a bed of jasmine rice? That’s right up my alley. In fact, it’s my go-to comfort meal in the dead of winter. Particular when there’s a winter storm brewing. Enjoying this meal with the bright snow as a backdrop entices me. This is also one of those meals I wish I could keep stocked in my freezer for the days when I need a little pick-me-up. An emotional support meal, if you will.
When developing this recipe, I had one goal in mind: how could I preserve the heart of a dish I already love while reimagining it in a different form? Through recipe testing, I realized that the two things that make the original so special are the rich, savory broth and those tender chunks of butter beans, partially mashed from hours of slow simmering. In the original dish, the beans cook down until the broth becomes rich and almost creamy, with some of the beans naturally breaking apart along the way. It’s arguably my favorite part of the entire dish, so I knew I wanted to carry that same technique into this recipe. Rather than reinventing what makes the dish comforting in the first place, I wanted to build on it.
So here we are. Consider this a soupified version of a classic meal that has carried the African-American household for decades during the winter months. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. I already have 4 servings waiting for me to thaw!
Southern-Style Butter Beans & Smoked Turkey Soup Recipe
Serves: 5-6
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 1.5 hours
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 yellow onion, diced
3 celery stalks, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
8 cups chicken or turkey stock
3 smoked turkey necks
24 oz frozen butter beans
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp red pepper flakes, plus more as desired
½ tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
2 bay leaves
3 cups chopped collard greens
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Salt, to taste
Instructions
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute.
Slowly pour in the stock, stirring as you go. Add the smoked turkey necks, smoked paprika, thyme, red pepper flakes, black pepper and bay leaves. Bring everything to a gentle simmer, then partially cover and cook for at least 45 minutes.
Remove the turkey necks and bay leaves from the pot. Add the frozen butter beans and simmer for approximately 30 minutes, or until tender. Once cooked, use the back of a spoon to mash about half of the beans against the side of the pot. This gives the broth a little more body while leaving plenty of whole beans behind.
Once cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the turkey necks and discard the bones. Return the shredded meat to the pot.
Stir in the chopped collard greens and let the soup simmer uncovered for another 15–30 minutes, depending on how tender you like your greens.
Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Give the broth a taste and adjust the salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and vinegar as needed.
Spoon warm jasmine rice into the bottom of each bowl and ladle the soup over top.
Notes from Neutral Kitchen 🤎
Frozen butter beans don’t always cook at the same rate. Some need a little extra lovin’. Make sure all are completely tender before mashing any of them into the broth.
A little apple cider vinegar can seem like a dicey choice, but trust me it complements the dish so well and cuts through the richness of the smoked turkey and beans. Start with the tablespoon, then add more if you want a little extra brightness. A squeeze of lemon works, too.
Reserve some of the shredded turkey and crisp it up in a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil. Scatter it over the soup just before serving.
A Parmesan rind goes a long way. Toss one into the pot while the soup simmers for an extra layer of savory flavor. Think of it as a bay leaf.