Ham & Vegetable Soup

I love the changing of the seasons for so many reasons. As the weather changes, so does our diet and our menu. The weather is cooling off, and it is now soup weather. I love all kinds of soup. Soup and chowders are just good, simple comfort food.

The other day, I cooked a big ham, which meant I had a lot of ham leftover for other things. One of those dishes was a big pot of ham and vegetable soup. I served it with the rest of my beer and Parmigiano bread on the side. Beer Bread With Basil & Parmigiano Cheese

I loaded this soup up with all kinds of good stuff and tons of vegetables.

I used celery, carrots, onions, pumpkin, spinach, tomatoes, fresh herbs and both butter beans and kidney beans, as well as a bit of leftover couscous. And of course, lots of ham. Basically it was a kitchen sink kind of soup. And it was oh so good too. It was perfect for a cold, chilly day.

First, I sauteed all the hearty vegetables with the seasonings for about 7-10 minutes, or until they were tender and the onions were translucent. Then I added some homemade ham broth and the ham. I brought it all to a boil, then reduced the heat to a simmer and let it cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Towards the end, not long before serving it, I added the beans, couscous, spinach, tomatoes and fresh herbs to finish off the soup.

And voila! The soup was ready. Larry topped his off with a little shredded Jack cheese and the meal was completed with some white wine. The chill was gone. We were warmed up from the inside out with this delicious soup.

Soup it up and savor the flavors. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.