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.

#SouthernWords #Appalachia #FoodandDrink #Southern #FarmTalk

Hillbilly Dude Says...

Rarely was there 'soup beans' without cornbread growin’ up - and it's still 'at way for most everbody.

Pronunciation

[SOOP beenz]

Meaning & Usage

- Pinto beans cooked with pork for flavor (noun dish)

Mae:

What’s for supper?

Earl:

Soup beans and cornbread.

- A staple Appalachian supper (noun dish)

Mae:

They served soup beans at the church homecoming.

other spellings: pinto beans, brown beans, and bean soup

★ Soup beans ain’t "soup" like outsiders expect. They’re beans with plenty of pot liquor - enough to sop up with cornbread. ★

Origin

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.

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.

Kin Topics

Kin Words, Stories and More

Common Questions

Are soup beans the same as bean soup?

No. Soup beans are simple pinto beans cooked with pork, while bean soup outside the region often uses different beans and vegetables.

What do you eat with soup beans?

Always cornbread, often onions, chow-chow, fried potatoes, or greens.

Why call them "soup beans"?

To set them apart from fancier "bean soups" - these were humble, everyday beans with broth.