The Best Bean and Ham Soup

I make this hearty soup using the ham bone from our Easter spiral ham. I serve it with corn muffins and fresh fruit. It makes a huge pot of soup, so invite some friends or just freeze several portions for later use. Remember to soak the beans the night before you make the soup.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 10 hr
• Total Time: 10 hr 25 mins
• Calories: 260 Calories

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 ham bone
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with liquid
• 5 large carrots, chopped
• 1 (20 ounce) package 15 bean mixture, soaked overnight
• 2 ½ cups cubed ham
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can low-sodium vegetable juice
• 7 cups low fat, low sodium chicken broth

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place the soaked beans into a large pot and fill with enough water to cover by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low for 30 minutes. Drain. Add the ham bone, ham, onion, celery, carrots, tomatoes, vegetable juice, and vegetable broth. Season with Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, chili powder, bay leaves, pepper, parsley and lemon juice. Pour in enough of the chicken broth to cover the ingredients.

Step 2

Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 hours. Add more chicken broth as needed throughout the day. Remove the ham bone and season with salt if needed. Continue to simmer for a couple more hours. Remove bay leaves before serving.