Shaker Bean Soup

It is lovely to work from dried beans.  Treat your body to health while treating your taste buds to soup.

• 1 pound dry northern beans
• 1 meaty ham bone or 2 smoked ham hocks
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, finely sliced
• 2 carrots in small dice
• Salt and freshly milled black pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
• 1 to 2 tablespoons. brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups finely shredded fresh spinach leaves

METHOD

Pick through beans to remove any stones and rinse beans. Rinse and put in large pot covered with ample amount of cold water.  Beans will absorb three times their weight in water to double, even triple.  Soak overnight.

When ready to cook, drain and rinse under cool water.  Put in a Dutch oven or soup kettle with ham bone or hocks and 3 quarts water. Bring to a boil. When boiling, reduce heat and simmer, covered 1 hour or until meat easily falls from the bone. Remove bones from broth trim off any non-fatty meat and discard bones. Return meat to pot with onion, celery, carrots, salt, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil.  When boiling, lower heat to maintain a gently rolling simmer and cook, covered, 1 hour or until beans are tender.

Add tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar. Allow sugar to melt and stir well to blend into soup.  Taste and add remaining tablespoon sugar if not sweet enough for your taste. Cook for 10 minutes.

Stir in spinach when ready to serve.

Serves: 6 - 8

Contributor: Junior Trimmer

 

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