White Bean and Ham Soup

Ingredients

• 1 lb of white beans—Cannellini or Great Northern—about 2 1/2 cups
• 2 quarts of water
• 2-3 lbs of smoked ham hocks or shanks
• 2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence, or Italian seasoning
• 4 Bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup of 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
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh parsley
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Method

1 Soak the dry beans in water over night. Drain the water.

2 Make the ham broth 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 and bay leaves. Heat on high heat until the water comes to a simmer, then lower the heat, partially cover and maintain the simmer for a few hours.

3 Sauté the onions Heat olive oil in a small sauté pan on medium high heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook a minute more.

4 Add vegetables and beans to the ham broth Once the ham hocks or shanks have been simmering for a while, take out the ham hocks, add the drained soaked beans from step 1, and the onion and garlic. Simmer for about an hour. Remove the ham from the bone and add it to the pot along with the chopped celery and carrots and cook for another 40 minutes or so, uncovered, until the vegetables are soft. 

5 Season to taste Add several drops of Tabasco, lemon juice, Worcestershire, salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a pinch of chopped fresh parsley.