Big Mama’s Old Black Pot Recipes: Vegetable Soup

Fill Your Bowl with a Hearty Southern Vegetable Soup

Vegetable Soup is a timeless Southern comfort food that brings together garden-fresh vegetables, smoky ham hocks, and a rich homemade broth. Loaded with corn, lima beans, peas, tomatoes, okra, potatoes, and peppers, this hearty soup is a satisfying one-pot meal that’s perfect for feeding family and friends.

Featured in Big Mama’s Old Black Pot Recipes by Ethel Rayson Dixon, this recipe reflects the Southern tradition of combining seasonal vegetables with simple pantry staples to create nourishing meals full of flavor and hospitality.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds ham hocks
• 8 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 Tablespoons bacon drippings
• 1/4 cup onion (chopped)
• 1/2 cup celery (chopped)
• 4 pods sweet pepper (chopped)
• 2 pods hot pepper (chopped)
• 1-1/2 cups corn
• 1-1/2 cups lima beans
• 1-1/2 cups field peas
• 2 cups tomatoes (stewed)
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 6 pods okra (chopped)
• 3 medium potatoes (diced)
• 1 cup beef stock

Serves: 6–8

Instructions

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large soup pot.
2. Add the ham hocks, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for about 40 minutes, or until the meat begins to become tender.
3. Meanwhile, heat the bacon drippings in a skillet over medium heat.
4. Sauté the chopped onion, celery, sweet peppers, and hot peppers until softened.
5. Add the cooked vegetables to the soup pot along with the ham hocks.
6. When the meat begins to separate from the bone, remove the bones if desired and return the meat to the pot.
7. Stir in the corn, lima beans, field peas, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chopped okra, diced potatoes, and beef stock.
8. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
9. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving hot.

Closing Summary / Pro Tips

• A hearty one-pot Southern meal packed with vegetables and smoky ham.
• Great for using fresh garden produce or frozen vegetables.
• Even more flavorful the next day after the ingredients have blended.
• Serve with warm cornbread or crusty bread for a complete comfort-food meal.

About the Creator

Ethel Rayson Dixon, a Louisiana native, shares recipes inspired by generations of Southern home cooking. Her cookbook highlights comforting dishes rooted in Black culinary traditions and celebrates the warmth of homemade meals prepared with simple ingredients and care.

Ethel Rayson Dixon | Big Mama’s Old Black Pot Recipes

Where to Find This Recipe

This recipe is adapted from Big Mama’s Old Black Pot Recipes by Ethel Rayson Dixon.

Find more amazing recipes like this in the book, available through local booksellers and online retailers.