Bean Ham Bone Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried navy beans
• 1 ham bone + ham scraps
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 2-3 carrots, chopped
• 2-3 celery stalks, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 5+ fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 10 cups water
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. The Night Before: Place the dried beans in a large bowl and cover with three inches of water. Soak the dried beans overnight (up to 24 hours) to soften. Drain when ready to use.
2. Place a large 6 quart pot over medium heat. Add the oil and onions, carrots, and celery sweat until the onions start to turn translucent.
3. Add garlic. Sweat until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
4. Add ham bone, drained beans, thyme, ground cumin, crushed red pepper, 10 cups of water, and any remaining ham scraps.
5. Bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 60-90 minutes, covered, until the beans are very soft. Uncover and stir occasionally, then place the lid back on top.
6. Add ham scraps and continue to simmer for 5-10 minutes, until ham is sufficiently warm.
7. Discard the bone. Add water if the soup is too thick. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed.

Notes:

• From https://www.aspicyperspective.com/nanas-epic-navy-bean-ham-bone-soup/