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Schaubel Zup (Green Bean Soup)

My mom made a soup like this when I was growing up, but it wasn't one of my favorites. Recently I decided to revisit this green bean soup and found that it’s actually better than I remember. The broth, with a little sweet cream in it, reminds me of the Zuppa Toscana soup at Olive Garden. How much better can it get? Here is the recipe – a combination of ideas of how my Mom made it and a recipe in the Mennonite Treasury.

Ingredients:
  • 1 lb smoked ham hock
  • ½ dried red hot pepper
  • 10 black pepper kernels
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 - 3 carrots, chopped
  • 2 medium potatoes
  • 6 cups chopped (frozen or fresh) green beans
  • summer savory
  • 1 bouillon cube (chicken or beef) if needed, for extra flavor


  1. Cover ham bone with about 8 cups water in large pot. Tie spices into cheesecloth and add to pot. 
  2. Bring to boil, take off scum, and simmer about 1 hour. 
  3. Take out ham bone. Add vegetables and cook another hour. 
  4.  While vegetables are cooking and after ham has cooled somewhat, remove ham from bone, chop into bite size pieces and return to pot. 
  5. About ½ hour before it’s done, add a handful of summer savory, tied together for easy removal. If you can’t get summer savory, use a tiny sprinkle of thyme. Adjust flavors with bouillon if needed.
  6.  Add ½ cup sweet cream or sour cream, before serving. Enjoy a trip down memory lane.
To make this soup with farmer sausage, simply cook  peeled and chopped sausage along with vegetables for an hour. You can also pre-cook the onion, then add water, sausage and vegetables. Use bouillon cube and summer savory for flavor.

66 comments:

  1. Oh I can taste it through your photo. My Mom use to make this too. Thanks for the recipe. I'm going to make this very soon. Kathy

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  2. Thank you, Lisa, this is a must this week. This sounds just like my mom's recipe, and I am so glad that you posted it.
    Thanks
    Alvina

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  3. What a familiar sight this soup is!! THANKS!!

    I've recently discovered your blog and I appreciate both the Menno and non-Menno recipes! This soup is going in my recipe box.

    Thanks!

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  4. My husband's favorite soup...I'll try your version next time I make it!

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  5. Oh I absolutely love love love this soup....so does my family. I make mine vegetarian although my Grandma made the best ever and she made it with a ham bone too. The wonderful aroma of summer savory would greet us when we would open the back porch door to Grandma's kitchen after a long car drive to visit the Grandparents in their little town in Saskatchewan....wonderful memories come with this post. Thanks Anneliese. By the way...where or where can you find fresh summer savory? I am going to have to grow my own this summer.

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    1. Our grandson is a vegetarian, and I would like to make a version he would eat. Do you just leave out the meat or substitute a vegetarian "meat" like Quorn? Thank you.

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    2. My mom just used the summer savory for flavoring and never used a meat stock. The soup was just grean beans, maybe a few potatoes or carrots or peas, and cream - with the beans being cooked with a good amount of summer savory. R

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    3. My mom only used summer savory for seasoning the broth. It was basically green beans, some potatoes, and occasionally carrots or a handful of peas, finished off with salt, pepper, and cream. R

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    4. You could use a vegetarian bouilon cube along with the summer savory and, if you can find it, smoked salt.

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    5. My grandmother and mother always made a vegetarian version, with veggies picked from the garden. I try to get mine from the farmers market. Cut up green and yellow beans and cover with water. Simmer for 1/2 hour. Then add carrots and potatoes and simmer another 20-30 minutes. At the end throw in some peas, butter, whipping cream, summer savoury and salt, all to taste. Delicious! And even better the following day.

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  6. Trish,I get the summer savory at a local farmer's fruit and vegetable stand now in the summer (of course) and dry it. I used to not know where to get it or what it was even called in English, since my mom always called (calls) it Pfefferkraut.

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  7. This recipe reminded me of my mother's wax bean soup. The yellow wax beans were used and half and half cream was added at the end. The red hot pepper is something new but I'm up for a change.

    I heart your blog. Thanks.

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  8. who ever hasn't made green bean soup is surely missing something. there is really something very comforting about it, a long staning mennonite family tradition. it looks great.

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  9. Oh this looks yummy! It's finally going to cool down in Southern California this weekend. Time for soup!!

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  10. Oh this is one of my favorites. . .I'll go and stick it in the Mennonite section now.

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  11. Oh, this looks great! And I can get most everything here ... do you think canned ham would be an acceptable substitute?

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  12. I'm sorry, Jules, canned ham wouldn't do it! It has to be smoked ham of some version. . . smoked sausage would work . . . but I know pork is not something you will find too easily in Indonesia. To get flavor, you could just make sure you add more bouillon and onion.

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  13. This soup is so great, a slite vareatoin from my mothers,using the same basic ingredence have made many excellent fresh bean soups. The ham hock,rather than just some ham makes a big difference..summer savory A must,,don't be afraid to play around with it ...Ron

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  14. This is an old family favorite--yummy! Worth the effort. If you can't find Summer Savory (Pepekrut) we have used fresh or even dried Dill. Honestly we LOVE the dill flavor with the smoked ham and beans...mmm. Also, since we are meatatarians, and ham hocks can be devoid of much meat, I've even added chopped ham steaks to add a little more meat per bite.
    Can we just have zweibach with it, too?! :-) p.s. my grandpa used to always add a little sour cream or even a tsp. of vinegar to his broth!

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  15. Oh, this is making me hungry! My grandma made the best Green Bean Soup. Of course, she cooked without a recipe so I can't really duplicate her version. I've never seen it made with carrots in Kansas though.

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  16. This was always my favorite soup growing up, so I can't tell you how happy I was when I discovered your recipe is even better than my mother's (sorry, mom). I just love it!

    Thanks

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  17. i've been craving this soup for awhile now and was devastated to discover that summer savory is not available anywhere here! my mom and dad are bringing some down for me from their garden on their next trip, but i'm thankful i read all the comments and saw that fresh dill could be a tasty substitute. i'm going to try it!

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  18. This looks wonderful. I have some ham boullion and since it has ham in it, wonder if that could be used. Susan

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  19. Susan, I have never heard of ham bouilon, but it sounds like it would be good to use for this soup. Why not try it?

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  20. I have taken to using liquid smoke for recipes I either want to adapt to vegetarian or decrease the amount of ham or sausage. I'd imagine it should work for this if you have no alternative. Be careful to use only a scant amount as it can end up tasting unpleasant if you overdo it.

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  21. I love to make Green Bean Soup but I use dried Summer Savory and it works just as well. My dad used to grow it and then dry it and he'd always send me some, but he died so I no longer get the home-grown stuff. I have since bought it in the grocery store and on-line as well; just make sure you buy Summer Savory and not Savory which doesn't add the unique flavor. I also use leftover ham cut up and it works well too.

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  22. My made this for my sister and I for lunch yesterday; it was very good. My dad, who is living elsewhere at the present time, was very jealous as it is his favourite soup. I may make it myself (found summer savory at the store today).

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  23. we always use pioneer farmer sausagae in this recipe .. it is so good im going to make it tomorrow and also gramma always added the summer savory still on the branches right at the begining

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  25. I made this soup today with my left over Easter ham bone and meat and it was SO GOOD... the smell alone as it was cooking transported me to my Oma's kitchen... it tasted as good as I remembered it :) Maybe better! Thanks for posting this recipe!

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  26. Amanda, I am so happy to hear that! =)

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  27. I just made green bean soup this evening, and I thought it was missing something so I found your recipe here! I always make it with farmer sausage too (Pioneer of course!) and I added my own summer savory that we grew in a pot on the deck. The recipe from my mom only has a list of items she usually adds, and not the amounts or anything like that. Also, I think she may have usually added cream, which I didn't remember. Anyway, I will try some of your tips because this soup is wonderful with the fresh green beans we are picking from the garden now. Have you tried it in winter with beans that you've kept in your freezer? I am curious how that would work.

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  28. I have even used canned green beans when I didn't have the real thing, and it still works and tastes great. This is my menu for supper tonight!

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  29. This Green Bean recipe is how I first found you girls years ago...way before your were famous! ;) Making it again today because I just found fresh Summer Savoury at Hofstedes Country Barn...NEVER get that fresh here...so excited!

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  30. About 30 years ago a 5 star chef at the Ski Resort had "Country Soup" on his menu. It had diced bacon, potatoes, green beans, summer savory ! ! ! Schaubel Zup ! ! He wasn't Mennonite but he's lived in Manitoba for many years.
    The recipe you have is just like my Moms' minus the carrots (claimed they didn't go together) but I might try them someday :-) Since it's so hard to find good, real, dry cured, smoked ham, I use Menno Sausage regularly.

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  31. I totally forgot about this soup until now. I love it, I want to make it, I miss my grandmas Mennonite cooking. Good to be Mennonite!!!

    http://www.inmydreams.ca/

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  32. How can I can soup in jars for shelf storage??

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    1. I have never canned soup for shelf storage. I have put hot soup into
      clean jars with rubber lids and let them seal and cool, then put them in the
      back of the fridge.

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  33. Can I use a carton of chicken stock to substitute the bullion and water? And can I freeze the extra soup?

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    1. Sorry to get back so late. The bouillon cube would only be for extra flavor. If you have a nice stock from the hambone, you may not even need the extra stock. Bean soup without a smoked ham or sausage in the soup would not have enough flavor. I hope that helps. Sure, you can freeze it.

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  34. I'm looking for a green bean soup with dill pickle juice, condensed milk, ham and potatoes. Any ideas? My General Conference Mennonite mother-in-law (now deceased) would have this soup on the stove when we arrived home (in Buhler, KS) from grad school (at Kansas State) at 10:00 pm, so she wouldn't have to be up to fix it. She generally was, anyway, but it was great to have it ready.

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  35. I have been looking for this recipe for YEARS!!!! I've attempted to make it many times, based on childhood memories but never came close!! Soooo looking forward to making this from garden beans!!!

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  36. By 'sweet cream' do you mean just regular whipping cream?
    Where in the Fraser Valley do you find the summer savory? I've only been able to find savory at Save-On.

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    1. Yes, regular whipping cream.I get the summer savory at Neufeld Farms in Abbotsford when it's in season.I hang the bunch upside down in a cool place to dry and then store it in a sealed container, in the pantry.

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  37. RE: Summer Savory (Papakrüt) I recently phoned Neufeld Farms exactly about this. They'll have it in, the first week or two in August. A good substitute for smoked ham hock would be smoked pork Farmer Sausage. Fortunately Abbotsford also happens to have the planets best Farmer Sausage. Secret family recipe, smoked the old fashioned way on-site with wood chips, etc. etc.
    F.Y.I. Did you know that when you go to ABC family Restaurants and order their eggs and farmer sausage for breakfast, you're getting Rempels sausage?

    If you get a chance, pay them a visit. It's a small place (City won't let them expand) wonderful meat quality. Try their breakfast sausage too (also a family recipe). I buy that stuff a hundred dollars at a time 'cause I live in Kelowna. Tell Gerald or Vern that big Dan says Hey!

    Rempel and Sons Meat Co. 33520 Downs Rd. Abbotsford V2S7T4 (604( 853-5361

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  38. This is an awesome recipe. Always loved it as a child, especially with the smokey taste of farmer sausage, which is what we used.
    As a vegetarian, I skipped the meat add used veggie bouillon.
    My alterations were extra amounts of the herbs, and a mixture of green and purple beans (thanks to the CMU glean-day this year), as well as extra garlic (which doesn't seem to be a think in traditional Mennonite cooking, but I since I'm not a hardcore traditional, I actually quite enjoy the addition).

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  39. When I was a child my mom and grandmother would make this soup--I thought it was called Shovels Up soup (that was so ingrained in me that I had a tough time finding this recipe! I don't have it written anywhere)--we'd always be playing or helping my dad with something so it made complete sense to have a soup that name. My mom used to make this with ham bone or Winkler Farmers' Sausage, and we'd grow our own savory (really easy to grow)- she'd use nearly the whole plant, this was a family favorite, I need to make this now! I have 6 plants...must freeze some for winter too. Thank you for the recipe, thank you internet!

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  40. Love this soup and this site, one of the recipes that I haven't found in my grandmas index, thyme is a surprisingly good replacement for summer savoury, something i never would have thought of. .

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  41. love this recipe thanks! instead of chicken boullion put a little surrumph, sorrel in for additional flavour. works great as a salt substitute.

    regards

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  42. I was thinking of making this soup and then freezing it. But I wonder if that will work, due to the potatoes. Any thoughts on that?

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    1. You are right, potatoes don't freeze so well, but may not be so bad in a soup. I prefer to ladle the hot soup into hot jars with a sealing lid, then store them in the refrigerator. Of course that is not a long term solution, but if you want to use it within a few weeks, it's quick to re-heat.

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    2. If I know that I'm going to be freezing it, I leave out the potatoes and cream. We used to freeze it in honey pails, but now that I'm freezing it in smaller batches, I just put it in freezer bags. Once it is heated - add your cream. If you want potatoes in it, you can always cook one up before you heat the soup. Roxanne

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  43. How much farmer sausage would you recommend to replace the ham hock?

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    1. I use about 1/2 a sausage ring, peeled and cubed. You can use more if your family likes more.
      Using sausage, actually is a faster method. You can begin by slighlty cooking the onion in the pot with a bit of oil. Add the water, spices, the rest of the vegetables, sausage and bouillon according to taste. It can be all done in about one hour.

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  44. I don't always have access to summer savory but I can get the dried version at the store. Mc Cormick Summer Savoury Leaves.

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  45. Boy is this ever fun to read these entries,... now that I am living here in Pheonix,AZ and used to live in Abbotsford,.. so these places you all mention bring me right back HOME!!.. AND... I am in
    the process at the moment of making a pot of Shauble Zup. I smell the hamhock simmering with onions as I type!.....yummm-0

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  46. Our grandson is a vegetarian, and I would like to make a version he would eat. Do you just leave out the meat or substitute a vegetarian "meat" like Quorn? Thank you.

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    Replies
    1. What you need in this soup is a smoked flavor that, in this case, comes from the ham or sausage.
      You could use a vegetarian bouilon cube and, if you can find it, smoked salt.

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  47. My mom isn't answering the phone, so my next best bet is too look up the recipe here! Soup making in Altona, MB this morning!

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  48. I live in Barrie Ontario and I cannot find true Farmer Sausage anywhere. My Mom used to bring it to me from Winlker, MB but it's not the same anymore, they are adding more filler now to cut costs which cuts quality. Sad.

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    1. Is there a way for you to get it from the Waterloo/ Kitchener / St Jacobs area?
      Maybe a trip out there would be fun and it freezes well.

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  49. I always knew this as summer savory soup ... had no idea it was called bean soup at all. I was Pinteresting last night and came across this recipe... my brain did a double take, and the more I looked at it, the more it seemed like what I had as a child. So I called mom and asked hr and yes, Schaubel zup it was!!! lol. Bought a ham hock today and am looking forward to making this soup as soon as I can find some good frozen beans!!

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    1. Thank you for sharing! I hope it turns out just like you remember!

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