If you grew up in Hawai’i, you’ve probably had Portuguese bean soup! It seems like every family has its own take on this dish. Portuguese food is a large part of Hawaiian-style cuisine because of the Portuguese immigrants who came to Hawai’i in the late 1800s and early 1900s to work on plantations. Portuguese bean soup is Hawai’i comfort food at its finest: hearty tomato-based soup brimming with smoked ham hock, Portuguese sausage, kidney beans, and veggies. Served alongside a moist cornbread muffin with tangy liliko’i (passion fruit) butter, this is the perfect soup to feed your family. -- Relle
1 (5-ounce) mild Portuguese sausage, sliced into coins
4 ounces center-sliced smoked ham
1 (15.5-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup diced celery
2 small potatoes, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
½ onion, diced
1 cup macaroni
1 cup chopped watercress
Cornbread
2 cups Bisquick
½ cup sugar
1½ tablespoons cornmeal
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Liliko’i Butter
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
½ cup liliko’i juice (passion fruit juice)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
Directions
Set an Instant Pot to sauté. Add the water and tomato sauce and stir to combine. Add the ham hocks, Portuguese sausage, ham, and kidney beans. Close the lid and set to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.
Once the cooking is complete, turn the knob to venting and allow a quick release. If the soup begins to sputter out of the vent control, release by slowly letting out pressure for a second or two at a time. Once the pressure has released, add the celery, potatoes, carrots, onion, and macaroni. Seal again and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes, then allow a quick release, again using a controlled release if needed.
Remove the lid and stir in the watercress. Serve the soup with cornbread muffins and liliko’i butter (recipes follow).
For the Cornbread: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin
with nonstick cooking spray and line with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together the Bisquick,
sugar, cornmeal, and baking powder until well combined.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and melted butter until well combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups to fill about three-quarters of the way.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
For the Liliko’i Butter: Pour an inch or so of water into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Set a small heatproof bowl over the boiling water; make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
Put the eggs and sugar in the bowl and whisk well to combine.
Add the liliko’i juice and whisk to incorporate. Once well
combined, add the butter. Stir with a silicone spatula until the liquid begins to thicken and is able to coat the back of a spoon, 10–15 minutes.
Remove the bowl and let it cool, then place it in the refrigerator to set.
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