Description

Don't throw away that left over ham bone. Instead, make a delicious soup with wonderful, fresh and healthy vegetables. If you don't have a ham bone, go to the grocery store and pick one up. It adds a wonderful flavor to the soup that everyone will rave ab

Ingredients

• Ham Stock:
• 4 lb. meaty ham bone
• 4 c. onion, large dice
• 4 c. celery, large dice
• 4 c. carrot, large dice
• 4 sprigs fresh parsley including stems
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 ½ qt. water
• 4 whole pepper corns
• Ham Soup:
• ham stock, about 1½ - 2 quarts (from above)
• 1 qt. vegetable stock
• 1 T. olive oil
• 8 slices bacon, diced
• 1 ½ c. leeks, white only, cleaned of sand and diced
• 1 c. celery, small dice, about 2 large stalks
• 2½ c. carrots, one inch dice
• 2 T. fresh garlic, minced
• 2 t. dry thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
• 8 oz. Parmesan cheese rinds, optional
• 1 ½ lb. russet potatoes, peeled and diced into bite sized pieces
• 1 head Tuscan kale, cleaned from ribs and cut up
• 2 c. frozen corn
• 15.5 oz. can small white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1½ lb. leftover ham from bone diced or deli ham steak, diced
• 1 c. light cream

Steps

1. Wash veggies; peel and dice as directed. Stock: Place all stock ingredients in a pot; bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer; cook uncovered for 2 hours. Strain stock; pick meat off of bone.
2. Mix ham stock with vegetable stock; heat. Taste and adjust seasoning, but salt only if needed as ham is already salty.
3. In a large heavy bottomed soup pot, heat oil over medium-high heat; add bacon; cook 7-8 minutes until just short of crispy. Add leeks, celery and carrots; cook 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Add stock, thyme, bay leaves, tomato and Parmesan rinds. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Simmer uncovered about 15 minutes or until vegetables are just short of tender. Add potatoes and kale; bring back to a boil; simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Add corn, beans and diced ham; simmer 5 minutes. Stir in cream; remove from heat.