Hearty Ham and Bean Stew

Ingredients List

• 1 pound dried Great Northern beans, sorted and rinsed

• 4 cups water

• ¼ cup celery, chopped

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 2 bay leaves

• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 leeks (bulb only), cut in half lengthwise

• 1 pound cooked ham, cut into bite-size pieces

• 5 slices bacon

• 4 cups chicken stock

• 1 pinch sea salt to taste

• 1 pinch fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Begin by placing the beans in a large container and covering them with several inches of cool water. Let them soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse before using.

2. In a slow cooker, combine the soaked beans, 4 cups of water, celery, onion, bay leaves, cumin, garlic powder, and parsley.

3. In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer the leeks to the slow cooker. In the same skillet, cook the ham until browned at the edges, then stir it into the soup. Add the bacon to the hot skillet and fry until crispy, about 10 minutes. Cut the bacon into small pieces and stir into the soup. Pour the chicken stock into the hot skillet and stir to loosen any browned bits from the bottom, then pour the stock into the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Set the slow cooker to Low and cook the soup until the beans are very tender, about 6-8 hours. Use a potato masher to roughly mash half of the beans to thicken the soup.

Chef’s Tips

Nutritional Information (per serving)