Ham Bean Vegetable Soup
Serves: 10-12
 
Ingredients
  • 2 c assorted beans of choice, washed
  • 10 c water
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 c diced ham (or one ham bone - see note)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
  • 2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 1-2 tsp. salt (to taste, depending upon saltiness of ham)
  • pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Place washed beans and 10 c of water into a large stock pot.
  2. Add diced onion and minced garlic.
  3. Add ham and bay leaf.
  4. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours, or until beans are almost done (soaking the beans over night decreases cooking time).
  5. Add potatoes, celery, carrots, and salt to the cooked beans.
  6. Cook an additional 30 min-1 hour until beans and vegetables are cooked.
  7. Add more salt and pepper, to taste, if needed.
  8. Remove bay leaf and serve warm.
Notes
If using a ham bone, cook bone with beans until beans are almost done. Remove bone from soup mixture and remove bits of meat from the bone. Discard the ham bone and put the bits of meat into the soup. Continue with regular directions. This soup is really good served with freshly baked rolls or Sweet Golden Cornbread.
Recipe by Home Baked Joy at https://www.homebakedjoy.com/ham-bean-vegetable-soup/