Easter Soup

Soup to use up that Easter Ham.

For those of us who don’t like Ham & Pea soup.

A hearty soup; perfect for leftover Easter Ham.

Just the Recipe | 6 Servings

Ingredients

4-6 Slices Bacon

2-3 Carrots

2-3 Celery Stalks

1 Yellow Onion

4 Garlic Cloves

Leftover Ham bone

Up to 1 Cup of leftover Ham

1 tsp Kosher Salt

1 Bay Leaf

1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper

1 Cup Pinto Beans

1/2 Head of Green Cabbage

1-2 Large Bunches of Kale

To Serve:

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) or Lemon Juice

Toasted Croutons

Heavy Based Soup Pot

Steps

• Prepare the veggies, ham and bacon:

  • Peel and chop the carrots into coins.

  • Dice the celery into bite-sized pieces.

  • Peel and dice the onion and garlic.

  • Shred the cabbage, set aside.

  • De-stem the kale, chop into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

  • Remove ham from the bone, if easy to cut off. Trim the fat and cut ham meat into bite sized pieces, set aside.

  • Finally, cut the bacon into 1 inch pieces.

• Start the soup:

  • Heat pan on medium-high heat. When hot, add the bacon slices. Cook until crisp and the fat is rendered. Then, remove with a slotted spoon to a plate with a paper towel to drain. Set aside for garnishing the soup.

  • Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot and cook in the bacon grease. Sprinkle with half the salt and ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until starting to soften.

  • Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.

• Add the ham bone and leftover ham to the pot. Sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper and the bay leaf. Cover with 6-8 cups of water, stirring to loosen any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low an allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Stir once or twice.

• Add the pinto beans and cabbage to the pot. Stir to combine and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes.

• Remove the ham bone and bay leaf. Add the kale and cook for 5 -10 minutes until the kale is soft.

  • If any ham remains attached to the bone, loosen and pull off. Then cut into bite-sized pieces and add back to the soup.

  • Dispose of the bone and bay leaf.

• Taste, adding salt if needed. Simmer the soup on low until ready to serve.

Croutons:

• Dice bread into small cubes.

• Heat a small skillet with 1/2 TBS of olive oil. When shimmering, add the bread cubes and toss right away to evenly coat with oil. Sprinkle with seasonings as desired.

• Continue tossing over medium heat until the bread cubes are well toasted. Turn off the heat and remove from the hot burner.

• Alternatively: Add in a single layer to a baking sheet. Spray quickly with pam and sprinkle with seasonings. Toast at 350° for 8-15 minutes until toasted. (Time required will vary based on bread size and freshness.)

Spoon into bowls and top with the bacon, croutons, and a splash of ACV or fresh squeezed lemon juice.

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