I usually make this hearty soup every spring after Easter dinner, but it is also the ideal fall warm up!! You know the routine, you get the spiral ham and then you have this meaty ham bone left over. What to do? Make Ham Bone Soup with Beans. This recipe is based off of the NY Times recipe because their picture looked good and the recipe was a little different than my standard go-to recipe. It was a bit of a risk as it called for “kale.” Leigh is not a great fan of kale but I took her standard answer “Follow your heart.” So here it is!
Ingredients:
- 4 strips bacon, thick cut, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 celery stalks, trimmed and sliced
- 1 large onion, peeled and diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 ham bone 1 1/4 pounds, cut in half or in thirds – ask your butcher to do this
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt, plus additional to taste
- ½ head green cabbage, shredded about 8 cup s
- 3 cups cooked beans rinsed and drained if canned, such as cannellini, navy or pinto
- 1 small bunch kale, ribs removed and leaves chopped into bite-size pieces 6 cups
- Black pepper, to taste
- Hot sauce or apple cider vinegar, to taste
Preparation:
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Add the carrots, celery and onion to the pot. Stir until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Drop in the ham bone and bay leaf. Cover with 8 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the cabbage and simmer 30 minutes.
- Add the beans and simmer 15 minutes.
- Stir in the kale and simmer until soft, but vibrantly green, about 15 minutes. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste). Add lots of pepper and a dash of hot sauce or vinegar. Serve with crumbled bacon on top.
