Hearty Ham & Bean Soup

As mentioned in my previous entry, my family knows ham and bean soup is on the menu the day after having baked ham. I slice most of the ham from the bone. The portion going into the soup is sliced about a half inch thick then cubed. The rest is thin sliced for sandwiches. Some of the slices are used over the following few days while the rest are froze for later use.

Hearty Ham & Bean Soup

Homemade soups are easy to make and fill the tummy very inexpensively. They are an ideal way to use up left-overs. Like most of my homemade soups, I don't really follow a recipe so the measurements in the following recipe are more of a guideline.

This hearty ham and been soup is thick and filling, just perfect for a cold winter's meal.

Hearty Ham & Bean Soup

900 g package navy beans
water to cover

1 large ham bone
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1-2 c ham, diced
salt to taste

Soak the beans overnight. Drain and rinse. Put beans in a large stockpot. Add ham bone and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Stir in vegetables and ham. Continue simmering until beans are tender. Salt to taste if desired. Remove ham bone. Remove about 4 c of the soup mixture. Blend with a stick blender and stir back into the soup mixture.