Ham Bone Soup

Finished Ham Bone Soup

A delicious way to use your ham bone after the holidays - but this soup is so yummy, you might buy and cook a ham just to have the bone for leftovers! This is a recipe best started the night before, so keep that in mind.


Ingredients:

For beans:
1 bag (20 oz) mixed beans (i.e. 15 bean soup)
3 quarts (12 cups) water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons Creole Seasoning


For soup:

1 left-over ham bone
1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped up ham
2 quarts (8 cups) chicken broth
1 large onion, diced

Veggies for Ham Bone Soup

1 large potato, peeled and diced
2 large carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced (fresh is best, or frozen like Dorot, which you can get in the freezer section at Trader Joes, Kroger, Stop and Shop)

Spices for Ham Bone Soup

1/4 cup chopped parsley (fresh is best, use frozen like Dorot if, like me, your herbs aren't in yet)
1 tsp chopped basil (fresh is best, I used Dorot because basil isn't in yet)
2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning
Pinch of thyme (again, fresh is best, if not use frozen)
1 cup frozen corn
2 -14.5 ounce cans petite diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

In a slow cooker, add beans, vinegar and 2 tbsp Creole seasoning. Set on warm and let the beans absorb the water overnight. 

Beans after soaking overnight

The next morning, drain beans.
In a large pot, add chicken broth, ham bone, ham, veggies and spices - hold off on corn and tomatoes.
Bring to a quick boil, then cover and set to simmer for a few hours - the longer the better.

Once done,  take out bone. Strain the soup if necessary (I haven't needed to). Take the leftover meat off the bone and put in pot.

Cooked ham bone and meat pulled off the bone

Put on low, then add beans. Let cook for an hour or so until beans are soft.
Once beans are soft, add tomatoes and corn, and set to simmer for another hour (don't add tomatoes until beans are soft, the acid makes it harder for the beans to get moist).


 Serve and enjoy! Great with rolls or cornbread!