15 BEAN AND HAM SOUP

This year I was scheduled to work Easter weekend so my family and I celebrated Easter on Good Friday instead. I had wanted to try a ham in the crock but I had a gift certificate for a ham at Honey baked Ham so how could I refuse. Maybe next year I’ll try that. However I did put my cheesy bacon potatoes in the crock pot. They were good, but I think I’ll work on them a little longer before posting it. Well since it was a holiday weekend and we had to work we decide to have a luncheon. We kept it simple with soup,sandwiches, and dessert. So with a fresh ham bone leftover from dinner on Friday I decided to make a 15 bean and ham soup. Since it takes a long time to cook beans, about 10 hours, I cooked them overnight in the crock pot and just kept them on warm at work. They were really good. Usually I will use only diced tomatoes in the soup but my co – workers like a little extra kick so I substituted a can of tomatoes for a can of Rotel tomatoes. I think that was the trick. So here is the recipe.

15 BEAN AND HAM SOUP 

INGREDIENTS:       

1 pkg of 15 or 16 bean soup mix, without the seasoning packet

1 leftover ham bone with ham attached

1 can of Rotel tomatoes with juice

1 can of diced tomatoes with juice

1 can of tomato sauce

1 large onion

1 tbs. of minced garlic

2 quarts of water

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

This soup must cook all day for 10 hours and cannot be put on high for half the time unless you soak the beans the night before. Wash the beans and place in crock pot. Add the onions, garlic, salt and pepper,tomatoes, and sauce. Put in the ham bone and add water. About an hour before eating remove the ham bone and return the ham pieces back to the pot.