Navy Bean Soup with Ham

Photo by Quentin Bacon and food styling by Adeena Sussman and Lori Powell

My husband hails from Michigan where the winters typically extend well into March. But the genuine warmth of the people there and their home-cooking keep you feeling cozy no matter the weather. This easy, but incredibly flavorful, navy bean soup with ham is my take on one of his childhood favorites. It has chunks of pork in every spoonful, just as he likes, but I’ve made it even healthier by using lean ham and less salt than usual.

Ingredients

1 pound dried navy beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large carrot diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 tablespoon crumbled fresh sage
4 cups low-sodium beef broth
4 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 oz. lean ham steak, cubed
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Pick over the beans and discard any stones. Soak the beans in cold water for at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse well.

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Add the carrots, celery and sage and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the beans, beef stock, water, bay leaf, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the beans have begun to soften, about 1 hour. Add the ham and cook uncovered for about a half hour more, until the beans are soft and the soup has thickened. Serve garnished with parsley.

Makes 8 servings

Serving size: 1 ¾ cup

Per Serving: Calories 250; Total Fat 4 g; (Sat Fat 1 g, Mono Fat 2.01 g, Poly Fat .97 g) ; Protein 16 g; Carb 38 g; Fiber 15 g; Cholesterol 5 mg; Sodium 530 mg

Excellent Source of: Folate, Fiber, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Protein, Thiamin, Vitamin A, Vitamin K

Good Source of: Calcium, Copper, Niacin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Zinc