Hearty Ham & Bean Soup

By Talk2usoon

If you use a Honey Baked Ham bone, be certain to double the recipe - you won't believe how good it is!

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound navy beans
• Ham bone and any leftover ham
• 1 medium onion, chopped and sauteed
• 3/4 cup shredded raw potatoes
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup celery leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh green onion tops
• 1 cup chopped tomato (fresh or canned)

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

Wash beans well, then cover with 6 cups warm water. Let stand overnight. Next day pour beans and water in which they were soaked into a large saucepan.
Combine all ingredients except tomatoes and green onion tops. These two ingredients may be omitted, but they add much color to the dish. Add them the last 10 minutes to retain color. Cook soup in a covered saucepan slowly about 3 hours or until beans are very soft. When done, taste and season further if necessary. If soup appears too thick toward end, add a little water or stock. If it appears too thin, cook uncovered a few minutes. Add tomatoes and onions last 10 minutes, and cook slowly uncovered.
Can easily double the amount of soup made by duplicating all ingredients EXCEPT for the ham bone :)