Soup Beans

By ErinLayton

There are not many things better than a bowl of these beans and a piece of warm cornbread...anyday!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. dried pinto beans
• 8-12 oz. country ham, cut into about 6 pieces
• salt and pepper
• 1 (14 1/2 oz.) can whole tomatoes, drained, then
• crushed by hand
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 cup chicken broth

Details

Servings 6
Cooking time 2mins

Preparation

Step 1

1. Sort through the beans and discard and stones or damaged beans. Rinse well, then transfer to a large 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 5-6 quart pot or Dutch oven. Add the ham, 6 cups of water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Initially, the beans should be covered by about 1 1/2 inches.
3. Bring the beans to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Partially cover the pot (1/2 in. gap). Add chicken stock as neccessary to keep beans covered by a half-inch. Cook slowly for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. After an hour, check for salt (I added 3/4 - 1 teaspoon).
4. With the beans still simmering, cook onion in olive oil over med. heat just until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add tomatoes and cook slowly for 5-10 minutes.
5. Add tomato mixture to beans, and cook, partially covered, for 30-50 minutes, until the beans are fully tender.
6. Remove ham and break up into bite sized pieces. Return to pot, heat through, and enjoy!