Serving up the last of the leftover Easter Ham for dinner tonight to our friends the Wronas who are joining us for dinner tonight. This Italian Style Ham and Bean Soup will be our first course.
Now that Easter Week is over, life will be returning to normal here on the Farm...at least for a short while.
I just finished listening to an audible book that I had gotten from the library. I like listening to books while I go for my walks and this one popped up on my phone as a suggestion. It is a YA historical fantasy based in an alternate world.
I just finished Champagne Widows which took place during the reign of Napolean and commented in that review that I didn't know much about Napoleon. Then I started listening to this book that also featured Napoleon during the time before the Louisiana purchase.
Here is the blurb from Amazon:
It’s the early 1800s, and Clover travels the impoverished borderlands of the Unified States with her father, a physician. See to the body before you, he teaches her, but Clover can’t help becoming distracted by bigger things, including the coming war between the US and France, ignited by a failed Louisiana Purchase, and the terrifying vermin, cobbled together from dead animals and spare parts, who patrol the woods. Most of all, she is consumed with interest for Oddities, ordinary objects with extraordinary abilities, such as a Teapot that makes endless amounts of tea and an Ice Hook that freezes everything it touches. Clover’s father has always disapproved of Oddities, but when he is murdered, Clover embarks on a perilous mission to protect the one secret Oddity he left behind. And as she uncovers the truth about her parents and her past, Clover emerges as a powerful agent of history. Here is an action-filled American fantasy of alternate history to rival the great British fantasies in ideas and scope.
I enjoyed the novel more than I expected to...I never really consider fantasy as one of my genres but I always seem to enjoy them when I do read them. The reason I am sharing the review with you today is because at the end of the book that finished yesterday, White Bean Soup is mentioned several times and since that was already on my menu for tonight I thought it was a perfect segue into this review.
Tomorrow afternoon we are attending a wine tasting at a local restaurant. We are being joined by our friends, Bob and Cathy, and Bob's sister, Barb and her husband, Eric. Since we are having our large meal midday we will probably enjoy a bowl of this soup for dinner tomorrow night.
Sunday is our daughter, Jessica's birthday. We are taking her out for dinner to celebrate. Tuesday marks 1 year since we lost our dear friend Kirsten to COVID...we are attending a Mass in her memory and then are going to John's neighbor's house for brunch, not sure what we will do with the rest of the day but we will spend it doing whatever helps John the most.
The rest of the week is just normal stuff. Meetings at church, Food Pantry, Running Errands, etc.
Here's what we're eating.....What's on your menu this week?
Italian White Bean and Ham Soup
Ingredients
- 1 meaty ham bone
- 2 (15 oz) cans Cannillini Beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15 oz) can Butter Beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
- 1 small onion
- 3 celery ribs
- 1 large carrot, scraped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 6 c. water
- 1 T. olive oil
- 1 T. butter
- 1 t. dried Italian herb mixture
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place the ham bone in a large dutch oven or soup pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for about an hour, until the meat is starting to fall off the bone.
- Remove ham bone to cutting board and set aside to cool a bit. Strain the cooking liquid reserving 4 cups and place any bits of ham onto the cutting board with the bone.
- While ham bone is simmering, place the onion, carrots, celery and garlic into a food processor and pulse to small dice.
- Return the empty soup pot to the stove over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and butter. When melted and warmed add the diced vegetables, season with pepper and the Italian herbs. Cook stirring, until onion is translucent and vegetables are fragrant, ,3-4 minutes.
- Put the reserved ham stock back into the pot with the vegetables and leave to simmer while you remove the ham from the bone, cutting into bite size pieces, discarding any fat or gristle. Place the ham, beans and chicken broth into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for about an hour. Add the drained tomatoes, taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
Notes
Adapted from a recipe found at Epicurious.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
193.91Fat (grams)
6.47Sat. Fat (grams)
2.09Carbs (grams)
23.92Fiber (grams)
6.56Net carbs
17.37Sugar (grams)
4.1Protein (grams)
11.92Sodium (milligrams)
507.55Cholesterol (grams)
15.67
Looks delicious, I love a good bean soup. Italian style sounds fabulous.
ReplyDeleteThis is an easy and delicious recipe Cathy.
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