Triple-Luck New Years Soup

1. Trim the leeks to the white and light green parts and slice crosswise. Rinse them in a colander under running water to remove any grit. Peel and slice the garlic. Put the oil in a large pot over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the leeks and garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the aromatics are soft, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Rinse the beans in the colander, picking out any that look discolored. When the vegetables are ready, add the beans to the pot along with the smoked meat, 1/2 cup of the buckwheat, and 8 cups of water. (Leave a cup or 2 of extra water on the stove.) Bring the soup to a boil then lower the heat so it bubbles gently and cover. Cook, stirring every 10 minutes or so and adding more water if necessary, until the beans are just tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
3. Set aside several of the tenderest sprigs of dill for garnish. Trim and chop the remaining dill and cabbage, (No need to keep them separate.) You should have about 4 cups cabbage and 1 cup chopped dill. Zest the lemon, then halve it.
4. When the beans are tender, fish out smoked meat and chop it; remove any bones and gristle. Return the meat to the pot with the remaining 1/2 cup of buckwheat, the chopped dill and cabbage, and the lemon zest. Adjust the heat to a gentle bubble again. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables and buckwheat are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. (You can keep the soup warm on the stove for up to 30 minutes. Or cool, cover and refrigerate with the dill garnish for up to 2 days.)
5. To serve, return the soup to a steady bubble, squeeze in the lemon juice and honey. Taste and add more salt and pepper if you’d like and garnish each serving with some of the reserved dill.

– Recipe developed by The Bittman Project for Bob’s Red Mill