Ham & Bean Soup * Recipe

When I was pre-surgery and having a bad day - I'd eat.  Eat.  Eat.  Eat!!  Doesn't really matter what it was, I'd eat.  I can't do that anymore... so now I cook.  (I still have people in my house that need to eat, eat, eat... so I can still cook!)  I LOVE cooking, it's SO much fun to create something and make someone smile when they eat it and make their tummies full.  Love it.  Anyhoo - - today I made ham stock and then made ham & bean soup.  I used no "tried & true" recipe... I just did what I thought should be done.  So .... here goes.

Ham Stock

INGREDIENTS:

Ham bone (with whatever meat & fat was still sticking to it)

3 celery stalks, big chunks

3 carrots, big chunks

1 lg onion, big chunks

1 Tbsp (or so) of black peppercorns

small sprinkle of salt (not much, since ham is quite salty)

sprinkles of garlic powder

ground cumin

small sprinkle of ginger

little sprinkle of liquid smoke would be good (I did not need this because the ham I bought was smoked)

DIRECTIONS:

1. First thing I did was brown the ham bone/fat/leftover meat that was stuck to it in my stock pot, so I'd get the good, yummy brown guck on the bottom of the pot... not sure if it's necessary, but it adds a bit of flavor to it.  

2. Put the rest of the yumminess listed above in the stock pot and cover with water.... not TONS, just enough to barely cover all the goodness.

3.  Bring to a boil for awhile..... I boiled it for about 2 hours and it started to reduce.  Then I lowered the temperature to a simmer and simmered for another 2 hours until the taste was "right".  (You can be the judge of that.)  Use a slotted spoon and remove everything that isn't liquid.  What you have left.... Viola!  Ham stock.

Ham & Bean Soup

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 lbs of chunked/chopped ham

3 celery stalks, chopped small

3 carrots, chopped small

2 cans of cannellini beans

2 cans of white northern beans

1 lg onion, chopped small

few good sprinkles of parsley

ham stock (about 4-5 cups... I didn't measure it.  Oops.)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Combine ham stock, ham & all 4 cans of beans (drained) in stock pot.  Heat on medium for about an hour.

2.  Add in the carrots, celery & onions.  Heat on medium for another hour.

3.  Sprinkle in the parsley (fresh is always best, but I have plenty of dry, so I use that.) and heat on low for 20 min or so, to allow it to thicken just a bit.  

4.  Sit down with family and eat yummy ham & bean soup (let them have dipping bread or croutons with it.... things I can't eat because of carbs.  Ugh - nasty carbs!)  

Now... I'm not a chef or fancy cook, I'm just a wife & mom - - measurements are off because, well, I don't measure things.  Times are estimates and not "rules" because I wing it.  I just know how things taste when I'm done and if it's yummy - we eat it.  Don't like onion?  Don't add it.  Love carrots?  Add more.  Cooking is creativity, love and simple when you know you can do what you want.  Put some thought, some effort and some love into it and it'll be yummy.  I promise!

What else are you supposed to do when ham is on sale you buy 21lbs of it??

If I make something else yummy with all this ham - - I'll share that, too!

If you try this - hope you enjoy it!!

Much love,