Ham & Bean Soup with Vegetables

Use the bone from your leftover ham or use smoked hocks to make this awesome soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry navy beans
• 1 to 1.5 lbs meaty smoked pork hocks or 1 to 1.5 lb meaty ham bone
• 1 Tablespoon butter or fat from your ham
• 1.5 cups sliced celery (about 3 stalks)
• 1.5 cups chopped onion
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed dried thyme
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Tablespoon vinegar (helps get mineral out of the bones)
• 2 cups sliced carrots (about 4 medium carrots)
• 2 cups sliced parsnips or chopped pealed rutabaga

Instructions

1. Rinse beans. In a 4 qt Dutch oven combine beans and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for one hour. (Or place beans in water in the Dutch oven. Cover and soak for in a cool place for 6 to 8 hours or overnight). Drain and rinse beans and set aside.
2. In the same Dutch oven brown ham bone or pork hocks in hot butter or pork fat over medium heat. Add the celery and onion. Cook and stir until softened. Stir in beans, thyme, salt, pepper, bay leaf, four cups fresh water and vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 to 1.5 hours or until beans are tender. Remove pork hocks or ham bone and let cool until it can be handled. Cut the meat off of the bones and coarsely chop the meat. Discard the bones and bay leaf. Slightly mash the beans if desired.
3. Stir in carrots and parsnips or rutabaga and return to a boil. Simmer covered for 15 minutes more or until vegetables are tender. Stir in chopped meat. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 12th Edition