Ham & Bean Soup (ATK)

• portions: 6-8

Ingrédients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound ham steak, patted dry and diced

1 onion, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

6 cups water

2 smoked ham hocks

1 pound dried navy beans, soaked overnight (see note)

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

½ teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Instructions

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until just smoking. Add diced ham and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, water, hocks, and beans. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans are completely tender and soup is slightly thickened, 1¼ to 1½ hours.

2. Remove hocks from pot. (If desired, let cool 5 minutes, then shred meat and add to soup.) Stir in thyme, pepper, and vinegar. Serve.

Notes

To speed up their cooking time, soak the beans in cold water for at least 8 hours (or up to 24 hours before cooking. (See box below for a quick soaking method.)

Make Ahead: This soup can be refrigerated for several days, but the beans will continue to soak up liquid. If the soup becomes too thick, stir in ¼ cup water at a time until the consistency is to your liking. Simmer the soup over medium- low heat until it's hot. Serve.

Cooks country 2007 December/ January