I made 5 hams over the holidays for various parties that I catered. Cleverly, I froze all the ham hocks. I pulled one out a made this white bean soup, throwing it all the the crockpot. The ham hock I used was particularly meaty, so I did not add additional ham. Also, I served it with grated Parmesan cheese and crusty bread.
Cook: 1 hrs 30 mins
Yields: 8 - 10 Servings
Ingredients
1 meaty ham hock
3 cups water
3 cups chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup carrot, diced
1 cup celery, diced
½ cup diced fennel, optional
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh parsley
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning or seasoned salt blend
pinch thyme
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup frozen chopped spinach or mustard greens
2 cans (15 ounces each) Great Northern or Navy beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) tomatoes, diced
1 cup diced ham, optional
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
1Combine ham bone, water, and chicken broth in a large saucepan. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, fennel, pepper, parsley, Creole seasoning and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
2Add the corn, spinach or mustard greens, beans, and tomatoes. Remove ham bone and cut meat from the bone and dice. Skim fat off the top of the soup and add the ham, along with the extra ham, if using.
3Taste and add salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer for about 30 minutes longer.