We started off the New Year right by ringing it in with a fabulous dinner that just screamed comfort food (being in my pajamas all day didn’t hurt either)… I had read that having ham and beans are a sign of good luck in many cultures so I thought it was fitting to have Homemade Ham and Bean Soup!

It was my first attempt at making it and I was a little nervous because I didn’t really have a concrete recipe for making it either, it was basically one of things where I threw in whatever sounded good at the time, while trying my best to remember what my grandmom usually puts in hers

Comforting Ham & Bean Soup

• 20 ounces dried assortment of beans
• 64 ounces water
• leftover ham bone (from our Honeybaked Ham @ Christmas)
• leftover pieces of ham with fat and skin removed - I probably used around 3 cups?
• chili powder, black pepper
• minced garlic
• 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 1/2 large onion, diced

First, soak the beans in a large container of water overnight for at least 8-10 hrs (make sure you allow room at the top for your beans to expand – I did not, and woke up to a pile of water on my kitchen floor this morning!).  I guess that’s what happens when you decide to soak your beans at 2am on New Year’s Eve night!

Then, bring the ham, ham bone, water, and beans to a boil in a large stockpot.  Once you have a boil, then reduce your heat and simmer for 2 hours.  About an hour in, I added a couple sprinkles of chili powder and pepper and gave the soup a couple good stirs.

At the end of the two hours, remove the ham bone carefully (be sure no little pieces broke up) and add in the tomatoes, onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. 

Let simmer for an additional 30 minutes.  I stirred about halfway thru. 

At the end of the 30 minutes, I added it a little bit more pepper and chili powder, gave it a good stir, and let it simmer for 10 more minutes.  Then, I took a deep breathe in, smelled the yumminess, and served it up for my hubby and me. 

I was a little nervous that it wouldn’t be as good as the ham and bean soups that I’ve had in the past but I must say, I was pretty impressed with my creation.  My thoughts were confirmed when Bill asked for seconds   Hope you enjoy this soup as much as we did!