Hearty Ham And Three Bean Soup Recipes

BASIC HAM AND BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse the beans, sorting out any broken or discolored ones. In a large pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt and the beans and remove from heat. Let beans sit in the hot water for at least 60 minutes.
• After the 60 minutes of soaking, return the pot to high heat and place the ham bone, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, mustard and bay leaves in the pot. Stir well, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 60 more minutes.
• Remove ham bone and discard. Stir in the chopped ham and simmer for 30 more minutes. Season with ground white pepper to taste.

HAM AND BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat a Dutch oven (you can also use a thick-bottomed soup pot, but may need to stir more often to prevent burning) over medium heat for about 3 minutes or so, until it's nice and hot. Add the oil and the onions. Cook until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Stir in the chopped celery and carrots, and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes. Add the beans, followed by the water. Increase the heat to high.
• Add the bay leaves, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, black pepper, paprika, and chicken bouillon paste. (If you don't have chicken bouillon paste, simply use chicken stock in place of the water.) Bring to a boil.
• Stir in the ham. I like to cut it into big shards/shreds for extra texture. (Sarah likes hers cubed and orderly though. I won't judge either way!) If you're using a ham hock instead of ham, you can add it in now.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low so the soup is at a somewhat energetic simmer--it should always be at a low bubble. Cook for 4-5 hours, stirring periodically. If the soup isn't cooking down, you may want to increase the heat to medium. Every stove is different, so don't just set it and forget it. Periodically check liquid levels.
• In the last hour of cooking, add the fresh parsley, and cook for another hour. It's done when the beans and carrots are tender, and the soup is thickened. If you used a ham hock, fish out any bones, and chop up any large pieces of meat and skin (keeping the skin is optional) that don't break down during the cooking process before serving.
• This soup is quite forgiving. If it ends up too salty for your tastes, just add water, and lightly mash some of the beans to release their starchiness and re-thicken the soup. If you are reheating the soup and there is not enough liquid, just add 1-2 cups of water to bring it back to your desired consistency.

HEARTY HAM AND BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat butter and olive oil in a large dutch oven or stockpot over MED HIGH. Once hot, add the ham bone and brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Set ham bone aside on a plate.
• Reduce heat to MED, and add carrots, celery, and onion. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened.
• Add garlic and cook another minute.
• Add beans, diced ham, Italian seasoning, cumin, thyme, black pepper, rosemary, and red pepper flakes (if using). Pour in chicken broth, water, and add bay leaves (if using), then give everything a gentle stir.
• Return ham bone to the pot, nestling it in, along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate (those are full of flavor).
• Increase heat to MED HIGH and cover. Once soup has come to a high simmer or gentle boil, reduce heat to MED LOW and simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally, as the beans and ham can settle to the bottom and you don't want them to scorch.
• Remove ham bone and bay leaves (if used), and give the soup a taste. If needed, add a pinch of salt. Ham bones contain a lot of sodium, so I prefer to add the salt afterwards, if needed. Serve hot.