Ham and White Bean Soup
Description
Whenever a ham is baked at our home, I enjoy making a ham soup. This variation on Ham and White Bean Soup includes many vegetables fresh from our garden including tomatillos, celery, carrots, shallots, collard greens and tomatoes. We enjoy this soup along with a slice of our warm bread -- either our Sourdough Bread or our Bread with an Italian Flair / Pane Italiano – and you can access either of these recipes easily by clicking on those recipe titles.
At a Glance
Equipment
No special culinary equipment is needed to prepare this wonderful soup.
Ingredients
2 cups of pre-cooked Ham, diced
1 Ham Bone
1-½ pounds of Tomatillos, chopped into ¼-½ inch pieces (Note: this is the secret ingredient in this soup that adds a fantastic flavor and consistency.)
1-½ cups of White Onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of Garlic
1 cup of Carrots, shredded
1 cup of Celery, chopped
2 cans of White Beans (15 ounces each), drained
1 cup of Tomatoes, chopped
3 tablespoons of Butter
1 large Shallot, finely chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
½ cup of Collard Greens, (or alternatively baby spinach), chopped
5 cups of Chicken Broth
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of McCormick® Grill Mates® Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of dried Italian Seasoning
Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
Garnishes for the Soup (optional):
Salad Croutons (and that recipe is easy to access by clicking on that recipe title)
Parmesan Cheese
Chives
Parsley
Red Pepper Flakes
Directions
In a large soup stockpot, add the tomatillos, one cup of the chicken broth, one teaspoon of the McCormick® Grill Mates® Montreal Steak Seasoning, and one teaspoon of dried Italian Seasoning. Heat them over a medium-high heat and bring them to a boil. Once they are boiling, boil them for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes at a boil, set the tomatillos aside to cool. Once they are cooled, use a blender or food processor to pulse the tomatillos into a smooth sauce and set them aside. Clean the soup stockpot that you used for the tomatillos, and then place it back on the stove to melt the butter in the pot and add the garlic, the shallots, and the onions, and cook them until they are translucent. Add the carrots and the celery and continue cooking them for about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the chicken broth, the tomatillo sauce, the ham, the ham bone, the white beans, and the remaining McCormick® Grill Mates® Montreal Steak Seasoning and Italian Seasoning. Cook all of it over a medium heat, and once the soup is at a simmer, continue cooking it for about 30-45 minutes. Add the tomatoes, the collard greens (or spinach), the salt, and the black pepper to taste. Cook it for about 10 minutes more. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and garnish with your choice of garnish (which are optional).
Wine Pairings
Related Recipes
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Bread / Pizza and Pasta DoughBread with an Italian Flair / Pane Italiano