Ham and Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry great northern beans
• 3 cups water, plus more for soaking beans
• 1 leftover meaty ham bone, trimmed of excess visible fat
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 4 cups unsalted chicken broth
• Salt and pepper
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Pour the great northern beans into a roomy bowl and cover them with water by a couple of inches. Leave them to soak overnight.
2. In the morning, drain the beans and transfer them to a 6 or 7 quart slow cooker. Tuck in the meaty ham bone, then add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, chicken broth and 2 cups water. Sprinkle in 1 tsp pepper, then add salt to taste.
3. Put the lid on and cook on high heat until the beans have softened, about 5 1/2 – 6 hours.
4. Lift out the ham and pull the meat into shreds. Throw away the bone and any extra fat.
5. Return the shredded ham to the slow cooker, add 1 cup water and the parsley, and stir everything together. Serve warm.