In December I baked delicious bourbon glazed ham for a party. It was so much better than those spiral sliced prebaked numbers that we tend to pick up around the holidays. The ham was enough to feed a huge crowd, and they must have enjoyed it because all that was left were a few rolls and a bone with just a touch of ham on it. My sister took one look and said, freeze that, you can make a great soup for Super Bowl. Hmm, I always thought that soup for Super Bowl seemed kind of cliché, but my sister knows her parties, so it was into the freezer for that sucker.
The truth is, between the middle of December and the end of January, I sort of forgot it was there. I was making the usual Super Bowl plans for chili and pigs in blankets when my husband reminded me about the mysterious foil wrapped package in the freezer. Clearly it was a sign that it was time to break out of the chili for Super Bowl tradition. (Don’t worry; we would never give up the pigs.) I decided to make White Bean Soup with Ham. I would say it’s hard to mess it up, but I’ve had some versions that were, well, lackluster. Maybe they relied on canned beans or omitted ham, I don’t really know, but it’s such an easy recipe, it’s worth doing right. No hambone, no problem – a ham hock easily found at the grocery store is perfect.
The first step is to start with dried navy beans. Here’s the deal – buy a new bag if you can’t remember where the one in your cupboard came from. Everything has a shelf life and old beans just aren’t as good. You can soak them overnight or do the quick boil method*. Next cut cup 3 or 4 carrots, the same amount of celery, an onion and a few cloves of garlic. Sauté the veggies in your soup pot in a little olive oil for about five minutes. Add beans, chicken or vegetable stock, a ham hock or a leftover bone if you’re lucky enough to have one plus a bay leaf and red pepper flakes. Bring it all to simmer, cover the pot and remember to stir occasionally. In a few hours you have a marvelous pot of soup, enough to feed another crowd. That’s what I did last Sunday and this coming weekend looks to be even colder and more miserable so I may just repeat the process. This recipe is for my good friend and increasingly talented cook, Paul. – he loved it! You will too! Stay warm.
Ingredients
1 lb dried navy beans
3 carrots, chopped into small pieces (about a cup)
3 stalks of celery, chopped into small pieces (about a cup) (hint: You can use celery leaves, finely minced, to add extra flavor.)
1 small onion, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp olive oil
8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp red pepper flakes to taste
Ham hock or reserved hambone
Directions
Soak beans overnight in about 8 cups of water, or quick soak.* Drain.
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and sauté vegetable in olive oil to soften, about 5 minutes.
Add beans and stock to the same pot. Add bay leaf, red pepper flakes, and ham.
Bring to a simmer, stir and cover.
Simmer 3 to 4 hours stirring occasionally and adding water if necessary.
About an hour before serving remove ham and shred meat, removing bone and fat. At this point, it’s up to personal taste, but I like to either remove about a fourth of the beans and blend in a food processor or use a hand held blender to achieve a creamy texture – not a puree.
Add ham back into the soup, remove bay leaf, taste for salt and pepper, and enjoy! Chopped green onions and hot sauce are popular condiments.
Cornbread makes a nice addition.
* Quick soak method: In a large pot bring 6 to 8 cups of water with beans to a boil. Boil two minutes, cover, remove from heat and allow to sit for an hour before proceeding with the recipe.
