Ham and Bean Soup with Thyme and Chiles

This is one of those dishes that will make everyone keep asking, “Is it soup yet?”

Making soup from scratch, especially when the weather turns cold, provides so much home and hearth feelings. The aroma of a soup that cooks all day long in a crock pot is almost maddening and enticing. Better think about baking some bread while you are cooking to take your mind off that. Whoops!

SOFTWARE

·         16 oz. dried navy beans, rinsed and sorted

·         1 ham bone (you can also use a smoked ham hock for a deeper flavor)

·         1 medium onion, diced

·         1 celery rib, diced

·         2 T. garlic, minced

·         1 t. thyme, dried

·         1 t. kosher salt

·         1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

·         5-6 c. vegetable broth, low or no added salt

·         7 oz. can green chiles, chopped

METHOD

1.       Soak the beans overnight in enough water to cover them about 1 inch in a pot. Drain and discard the liquid. Rinse and add to the slow cooker.

2.       Add the ham bone, onion, celery, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and broth to the slow cooker. You should have enough liquid to completely submerge everything.

3.       Set the slow cooker on high heat and cook for 6 hours.

4.       Remove the ham bone and remove any meat from it, returning the meat to the soup. Make sure there are no smaller bone pieces in the broth.

5.       Add the green chilies and cook for another hour or until the beans are as soft as you like.

6.       Serve in bowls with a hearty bread.

7.       Enjoy.

VARIANTS

If you like a thicker soup, mash up some of the beans at the 6-hour mark. You can also use a pork shoulder bone for a different flavor, especially if the bone comes from a smoked pork butt. A totally different pork and beans dinner!