As part of the soup-stravaganza last week, the runner up second-place soup we made was ham and bean soup. I first fell in love with ham and bean soup when my dad made it with leftover Easter/Christmas ham. It is incredibly easy and delicious. Even though it has probably warmed up enough where you are that soup doesn’t even sound good, it is still freezing here, so I’m sharing this recipe with you anyway.
Make sure you find yourself a designated potato peeler. 🙂
The key to this recipe is a good ol’ country ham hock. I know, they look scary. Trust me. If you can’t find any, any bone-in ham works.
Ham and Bean Soup
adapted from my dad’s recipe
- 1 (16 oz) lean ham steak, or any cubed ham
- 1 ham hock
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 large carrots diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 1 Tbsp chicken stock
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 (15 oz) cans navy beans, drained
- 2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained
- 1 (15-1/2 oz) can black-eyed peas, drained
- 4 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2 lbs)
Trim fat from ham steak; coarsely chop ham. Cook ham in hot oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring often, 6 to 8 minutes or until browned. Add carrots and celery and sauté 5 minutes.
Stir in ham hock, beans and potatoes; add water to cover. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes. Remove ham hock before serving.
ENJOY!
Carol says
Looks good! Love the important point of having a designated potato peeler!