Ham and White Bean Soup Recipe
Use ham shanks rather than hocks if you would like a meaty soup.
INGREDIENTS :
- 1 pound (2 1/2 cups) dry white beans, like cannellini or Great Northern
- 2 quarts of water
- 2-3 pounds smoked ham shanks or ham hocks
- 2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence, or Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup diced onions (about 1 small onion)
- 1 cup chopped celery (about 2-3 ribs)
- 2/3 cup chopped carrots (about 1 medium carrot)
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- Tabasco sauce
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh parsley
METHOD :
1 Soak the dry beans: Fill a pot large enough to hold the beans with water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, add the beans and soak for about 2 hours. Drain the water.
2 Simmer the ham: While the beans are soaking in step 1, put the ham shanks or ham hocks in a separate large pot and cover them with 2 quarts of water. Add the herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning. Warm on high heat until the water comes to a simmer, then lower the heat, partially cover and maintain the simmer for about an hour.