Busters Recipes

Ham and Bean Soup with Vegetables

Comfort food! Ham and bean soup takes on a new look with the colorful
addition of parsnips, carrots, and spinach.
1 cup dry navy beans
1-1/4 to 1-1/2 pounds meaty smoked pork hocks or one 1- to 1-1/2-pound meaty
ham bone
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sliced celery
1 tablespoon instant chicken bouillon granules
1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon snipped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups chopped parsnips or rutabaga
1 cup sliced carrots
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
Rinse beans. In a Dutch oven combine beans and 5 cups cold water. Bring to
boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Cover and let stand 1 hour. (Or, skip boiling water and soak beans overnight
in a covered pan.) Drain and rinse beans.
In the same pan combine beans, 5 cups fresh water, pork hocks or ham bone,
onion, celery, bouillon granules, parsley, thyme, and pepper. Bring to
boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1-3/4 hours. Remove pork hocks
or ham bone; set aside to cool. Mash beans slightly. Stir in parsnips or
rutabaga and carrots. Return to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered,
about 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile, cut meat off bones and coarsely chop. Discard bones. Stir meat
and spinach into saucepan. Cook until heated through. Makes 4 or 5 servings.
Make-ahead tip: Prepare soup; cool slightly. Transfer to 1- to 4-serving
size freezer containers. Seal, label, and freeze up to 1 month. To reheat,
transfer frozen soup to saucepan. Cook, covered, over medium heat until
heated through, stirring occasionally to break apart.

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