Bean and Ham Soup

This soup came to fruition through a happy mistake. I hosted a holiday pot luck get together for my girlfriends. As the host, I decided to make a ham and have everyone bring sides. We decided to have this dinner on a weeknight, as to not conflict with anyones previously planned family parties. All was fine and good until I went and got hired for a full time job. I wasn't going to be home from work with enough time to make my ham. After researching a few recipes, I decided to put my ham in the crock pot while I was working.

I will never do a ham in the crock pot again! All my ladies said it didn't taste bad, but I was completely disappointed! My ham turned black after sitting in the crock pot all day. I had used a can of pineapples and honestly I forget what else to flavor the ham while it cooked. My sister's theory is the sugar from the pineapples turned the ham dark. I don't know if I am buying it. All I know is I will never do a ham in a crock pot ever again. If any of you that are reading this have managed a successful crock pot ham, could you comment and let me know how you did it?

As much as I was disappointed in that ham, I could not let it go to waste. My friends and their kiddos did eat some and noone complained about the flavor, but I think they were just trying to be nice. I was left with a large portion of ham as leftovers. I saved it, along with some leftover corn, to make a bean soup. As much as I did not like the ham, I didn't want to waste it. So back into the crock pot went the ham.

To transform this ham from dull dark brown mess to delicious soup, I added:

• 2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• about 2 cups corn (leftovers)
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 3 carrots, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 bay leaf

After I stirred all the ingredients together, I set that baby on low and let it cook about 8 hours.

This soup is very hearty and filling. I am normally a big eater, but a small bowl of this soup along with some spinach salad stuffed me. I have not tried to give this to Sophia yet, as I have been packed it for lunch at work, two days in a row. My sister took sample, so hopefully soon I will see what she thinks.