Navy Bean Ham Soup for the Slow-cooker
Chilly weather here in Texas prompted me to buy a bag of navy beans and drag out the old crock pot. Navy bean soup is one of the things that heralds in the real autumn season for me. There's just something about that hearty creamy-salty flavor, the distinct textures, the aroma of honey-smoked ham wafting through the kitchen. Mmmm...
Navy Bean Ham Soup for Slow-cooker
1 bag navy beans, or 2-3 cans
3 ham hocks
1 celery stalk
1 carrot
1 medium turnip
1 onion
1 chicken bouillon cube, dissolved in 1 cup water
1 Tbsp ground pepper
1 Tbsp dried Italian herb seasonings
2 cups water
1 cup milk
Soak beans overnight in water, then rinse and place in crockpot. If using canned beans, skip the soak and simply rinse before adding to the pot. Peel and dice all vegetables and mix with the beans. Add the 1 cup chicken broth, pepper, and Italian herbs. Mix thoroughly, then fit in the ham hocks. Add the rest of the water, making sure to go only high enough to cover the ham, but not overflowing. Cover and cook on high for 3-5 hrs, or on low for 7-9 hrs.
Ladle out 2 cups of the soup to cool so that you can blend it. Remove ham hocks from soup and separate the meat from bone and fat. Return the meat to the soup, and dispose of the fat and bones (unless you have a family dog, in which case save one of the bones and your canine will love you unconditionally for the rest of the day). By this point, the 2 cups of soup ought to have cooled to room temperature. If not, add some ice cubes and wait for them to melt-if the soup is hot when you try to blend it, you can melt or ruin your blender! So, after you’ve blended the two cups, add it back to the soup. Stir in the milk. Cover the crockpot and leave on high for 10 minutes or until heated through.
Serve with crusty bread or crackers. A delicious, hearty autumn or winter soup!
Cross posted promiscuously.
Navy Bean Ham Soup for Slow-cooker
1 bag navy beans, or 2-3 cans
3 ham hocks
1 celery stalk
1 carrot
1 medium turnip
1 onion
1 chicken bouillon cube, dissolved in 1 cup water
1 Tbsp ground pepper
1 Tbsp dried Italian herb seasonings
2 cups water
1 cup milk
Soak beans overnight in water, then rinse and place in crockpot. If using canned beans, skip the soak and simply rinse before adding to the pot. Peel and dice all vegetables and mix with the beans. Add the 1 cup chicken broth, pepper, and Italian herbs. Mix thoroughly, then fit in the ham hocks. Add the rest of the water, making sure to go only high enough to cover the ham, but not overflowing. Cover and cook on high for 3-5 hrs, or on low for 7-9 hrs.
Ladle out 2 cups of the soup to cool so that you can blend it. Remove ham hocks from soup and separate the meat from bone and fat. Return the meat to the soup, and dispose of the fat and bones (unless you have a family dog, in which case save one of the bones and your canine will love you unconditionally for the rest of the day). By this point, the 2 cups of soup ought to have cooled to room temperature. If not, add some ice cubes and wait for them to melt-if the soup is hot when you try to blend it, you can melt or ruin your blender! So, after you’ve blended the two cups, add it back to the soup. Stir in the milk. Cover the crockpot and leave on high for 10 minutes or until heated through.
Serve with crusty bread or crackers. A delicious, hearty autumn or winter soup!
Cross posted promiscuously.