White Bean Soup with Ham and Rosemary

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry white beans
• 2 quarts chicken stock
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1-2 cups finely chopped celery
• 1 cup finely chopped carrots
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 cups finely chopped ham
• 1 envelope Goya brand ham flavor base, optional
• About 2 additional cups water
• 1-2 T finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 2-3 T finely chopped fresh parsley
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cover the beans with cold water and soak them for 8 hours or longer, then drain them and rinse thoroughly. Add the beans to a large soup kettle with 2 quarts of stock, or water mixed with chicken base, and the thyme.
2. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes. As it cooks, cut the vegetables and ham into pieces about 1/4 inch square. If the ham has a rind, trim it away and drop it into the pot to flavor the soup.
3. Stir the celery, carrot, onion, and ham into the soup, then continue simmering for another 30 minutes.
4. Taste the soup and check the seasoning. Add up to 2 cups more water, the ham bouillon if it needs it, plus the rosemary and parsley.
5. Cook the soup over very low heat for 1 hour, or until the beans are pleasantly soft and the soup tastes full and well seasoned. If the beans are older, they may need extra cooking time, and you may need to add water more than once.
6. Once the beans are tender, take out the ham rind if you used it. Add fresh ground black pepper to taste and serve the soup hot. This freezes well, so you may want to make a double batch and pack some into individual containers for work lunches.