Ham and Bean Soup

Ham and Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 2 T. olive oil

• 1 1/2 c. chopped onion

• 1 c. chopped celery

• 1 c. chopped carrot

• 1 tsp. dried thyme

• 6 garlic cloves chopped

• 2 lbs. smoked ham hocks

• 1 lb. dried Great Northern beans

• 7 c. low-sodium or no-salt chicken stock

• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to the skillet. Add onion, celery, carrot and thyme. Cook for 10 minutes or until almost tender. Add garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Scrape onion mixture into a 6-quart slow cooker. Add ham hocks, beans and stock. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.

2. Remove the ham hocks from the slow cooker; cool slightly. remove meat from bones; discard fat, skin and bones. Chop the meat and return it to the slow cooker. Add black pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Serve.