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Brueck's Ham And Bean Soup

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This delicious stovetop soup is a perfect combination of creamy white beans, flavorful ham, veggies, and everyday seasonings. It can be made with canned or dry beans and is a great use for leftover ham. Add a leftover ham bone if you have one.

Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced (~ 2 cups)
  • 3 stalks celery, diced (~ 1 cup)
  • 3 medium-large carrots, diced (~1 ½ cups)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon)
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 quarts (8 cups) water (or 1 quart water + 1 quart chicken broth)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 ham hock/ham bone (optional – see notes)*
  • 20–24 ounces (about 4 cups) chopped or pulled cooked ham pieces*
  • 3 15-ounce cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
  • 5 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves (may use chopped kale)
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions
  1. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the oil. 
  2. Add the diced onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and Italian seasoning; saute until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the water/broth, bay leaves, and the ham hock (if using). 
  4. Cover and bring to a rolling simmer for 10-20 minutes (longer if using the ham hock).
  5. Remove the lid and add the ham and beans. (TIP: See more notes below for a thicker soup). 
  6. Simmer, uncovered, for a minimum of 10 minutes more but up to 30+ minutes more, especially if you desire a thicker more flavorful soup.
  7. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and remove the ham hock and bay leaves. 
  8. Add the spinach and apple cider vinegar to the soup; stir just until the spinach starts to wilt.
  9. To store leftovers: Let soup cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes
  • *This recipe is a great use for leftover cooked ham from making a baked bone-in ham. 
  • If you have a ham bone/ham hock leftover from cooking a whole ham, add it to the soup to help build the flavor of the broth and add some collagen. 
  • If you don't have a ham hock, I recommend using 4 cups of chicken broth and 4 cups of water for the liquid. 
  • And, if you don't have leftover ham, purchase a 1-lb ham steak and cut it into pieces.

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