Ham & bean soup

Ham and Bean Soup

The holidays are long past, so it’s time to do something with that ham bone that got stashed in the freezer and is taking up altogether too much space. I purchased a bag of 15 different beans for bean soup before the holidays and now’s the time to use it.

Bean soup is a quick and delicious way to get the most out of that leftover ham bone.

I combine:

1 onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 carrots, diced
1 bag dry bean mix soup
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
ham bone
7-8 cups water or broth
spice mix – about 1-2 tsp. each basil, oregano, thyme, parsley
salt and pepper to taste

In a stock pot, saute onion, carrot and garlic with 2 tbsp olive oil until soft and fragrant. Add ham bone, tomatoes, spices and beans, and cover with water or broth. Simmer, uncovered, about 2 hours or until beans soften. Remove from heat, take out ham bone and stir. Serve with a little grated Parmesan cheese on top and a slice of fresh bread.