Soup Beans
In Appalachian cooking, "soup beans" are simple pinto beans slow-cooked with salt pork, ham hock, or fatback. They’re not a fancy soup, but a staple meal served with cornbread and often onions, chow-chow, or fried potatoes.
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Rarely was there 'soup beans' without cornbread growin’ up - and it's still 'at way for most everbody. Rarely was there 'soup beans' without cornbread growin’ up - and it's still 'at way for most everbody. Pronunciation
Meaning & Usage
- Pinto beans cooked with pork for flavor (noun dish)
What’s for supper?Soup beans and cornbread.- A staple Appalachian supper (noun dish)
They served soup beans at the church homecoming.Origin and Etymology
Derived from Scotch-Irish and Native foodways. Pinto beans became the staple in Appalachian gardens, cooked slow with pork trimmings for flavor. The term "soup beans" marked it as everyday fare, different from fancier bean dishes.
Usage Notes
Very common in Appalachian homes. Outside the region, "bean soup" usually means navy beans, lentils, or split peas - but in Appalachia, "soup beans" almost always means pintos.
Say It Like a Southerner
Said plain: "soop beans." Always plural, even when talkin’ about a single pot.