Red Pea Ham Hock Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 cups dry kidney beans
water to cover
1 pound smoked ham hocks
1 1/2 quarts chicken broth
1/2 pound sweet potatoes, cubed
1/2 pound potatoes, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1 Scotch bonnet chile pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons ground thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk (such as Grace(R))

Preparation

Place kidney beans in a bowl with water to cover. Soak 8 hours to overnight. Drain.
Combine soaked beans, ham hocks, and broth in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Simmer until beans are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Stir sweet potatoes, potatoes, onion, carrots, scallions, Scotch bonnet pepper, garlic, thyme, salt, and black pepper into the stockpot. Let simmer until vegetables are soft, 30 to 45 minutes more. Add coconut milk; simmer soup until flavors are mingled, about 10 minutes more.
Remove ham hocks and puree soup with a stick blender.