The base of this soup is a good ham bone. In this recipe we started with the spiral cut ham bone left over from last week. Simmering the ham bone over a number of hours adds great flavor. You don’t need much seasoning such as salt because there is lots of flavor already in the ham. I use a salt free seasoning because I like the herbs in the blend. The work for you is to find the right combination that works for your taste. This soup is a meal itself. Add a grilled cheese and you have a wonderful meal.

Bean Soup
prep time 30 min
cooking time 4-5 hours

Ingredients
1 lb great northern beans soaked over night
1 Ham bone with some ham still on it
salt free seasoning to taste
salt/pepper to taste
1 cup diced carrots
4-5 stalks celery diced
1 medium onion diced
1 14 oz. can tomatoes diced

Take large stock pot and saute onion, celery and carrots in 1 tsp olive oil until onion is translucent. Add beans to pot and mix in with vegetables.  Add ham bone and cover with water. Add seasoning and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and cover simmer on low for 3-4 hours. During the last hour remove the ham bone and set on a plate to cool. Add the can of tomatoes. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your desire. Continue to simmer the soup for another hour. Remove ham from bone and cut into bite size pieces. Return ham to soup pot. Heat thru and serve.