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White Bean and Ham Soup

Source of Recipe

From "In the Kitchen with David" by David Venable


Recipe Introduction

"Don't know what to do with a leftover ham bone after the holidays? It's the perfect opportunity to make this soup. That leftover bone is loaded with flavor, but rather than attempting to pick those bits of ham off the bone to put into the pot, let the simmering soup do the job. When it comes to beans, it seems that cooks can be divided into two groups—those who soak their dried beans for eight hours before cooking them and those who don't. I tend to fit into the no-soak group, because I always find I'm short on time. And when I want savory bean and ham soup, I want it as quickly as possible. Here's how I make it."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 pound dried Great Northern beans
â—¦ 8 cups water
â—¦ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
â—¦ 2 to 3 pounds of ham shank
â—¦ 3 carrots, chopped
â—¦ 1 celery stalk, chopped
â—¦ 1 onion, chopped
â—¦ 1 teaspoon minced garlic
â—¦ 1 teaspoon dried mustard
â—¦ 2 bay leaves
â—¦ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 2 scallions, finely sliced


Recipe

Put the beans in a colander and rinse under cool water, discarding any pebbles or broken and discolored beans. Bring the water to a boil. Add the beans and the salt, and then remove the pot from the heat. Let the beans sit in the hot water for one hour, then drain and return the beans to the pot.

Heat the chicken broth and beans in the same pot over medium heat. Stir in the ham bone, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, mustard, and bay leaves. Bring the soup to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 1 hour. If the soup seems dry, add ½ to 1 cup water as necessary.

Using tongs, remove the ham bone to a plate. When it's cool enough to handle, pull off any remaining bits of meat and add them to the soup. Simmer for 30 additional minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnished with the scallions, and serve hot.

Makes 6 to 8 servings