Friday, December 28, 2012

Ham & Vegetable Soup

I have two leftover ham bones in the freezer waiting to be turned into delicious soup.

This is the perfect soup to serve on chilly rainy days. All you need to complete the meal is warm crusty rolls or bread.


1 leftover ham bone (with a small amount of ham still attached to bone)
1 large onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
16 cups (4 L) cold water
21/3 cups (575 mL) soup mix (a dry mixture of yellow and green split peas, red lentils, alphabet pasta, pot barley and rice)
11/2 teaspoons (7 mL) dried Italian seasoning
6 large carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced

Put ham bone, onion and bay leaves in large heavy pot. Add water. (The ham bone should be completely covered. If necessary, add a little more water.) Place over high heat and bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 4 hours. Remove from stove, uncover and let cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, remove fat from surface of ham stock; discard fat. Remove ham bone from pot; set aside. Place pot of ham stock over high heat and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, cut ham from bone; discard bone. Cut ham into bite-size pieces (we had about 2 cups/500mL); refrigerate until ready to add to soup.

When stock comes to a boil, add soup mix and Italian seasoning. Return to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add carrots and celery to soup. Increase heat and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until carrots and soup mix are tender, stirring occasionally.

Add ham and cook for 2 minutes or until ham is heated through. (If you prefer a thinner soup, add a little water until reaching desired consistency.)

Remove and discard bay leaves. (Make ahead: Chilled soup can be frozen in airtight container for up to 1 month.)

Makes about 12 servings.

Approximate nutritional analysis for each serving: 190 cal, 12 g pro, 2 g fat, 33 g carb. Excellent source of vitamin A, thiamine and folate. Very high in fibre. Low in fat.

TIP: A (450 g) bag of soup mix yields 21/3 cups (575 mL).

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