Soup Beans w/Ham

By nlhartman

This recipe was adapted from a Better Homes and Gardens recipe served as a side dish, but for me, it works better as a soup all on its own.

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried pinto beans, white beans such as navy beans, or black beans
• 8 ounces country ham, leave whole-I used a pre-sliced bone-in ham
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/4 tsp. salt.
• 1 14 1/2 ounce can whole tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (optional) or 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 40mins
Cooking time 90mins
Adapted from bhg.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Sort through the beans and discard any stones or damaged beans. in a colander rinse well, then transfer to 4- or 5-quart container and cover generously with water. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days. The beans will double or triple in size.
2. Drain the water, rinse the beans, and put them in a heavy nonreactive 5- to 6-quart pot or Dutch oven. Add the ham, 6 cups of water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Salt will increase the cooking time slightly, but the added flavor is worth a few extra minutes. Initially, the beans should be covered by about 1-1/2 inches.
3. Bring the beans to a simmer over moderate heat and partially cover the pot (leave about a half-inch gap); add water as necessary to keep beans covered by a half-inch. Plenty of water ensures even cooking. Stir gently during cooking so beans won't stick to bottom. Cook slowly for about 1 hour until beans are just tender but not at all mushy. Take the ham out of the bean pot and cut into 1/2-3/4"-inch cubes.
4. While the beans simmer, prepare tomato sauce. Transfer drained tomatoes to a large, deep bowl (to keep juices contained) and crush.
5. Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet cook onion in hot olive oil over medium heat just until soft, but not browned. Add garlic to the softened onions and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the 1/2 teaspoon salt, the pepper, and the crushed tomatoes. Cook, gently, uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes. Taste for salt, adding additional if needed.
6. Stir in ham cubes and the tomato-onion mixture into to the beans, and cook, partially covered, for 30 minutes, until the beans are fully tender. To serve, put soup into bowls. Delicious with saltines or corn bread.