Ham Bone & Chickpea Soup

It’s a cold, wet, rainy spring day with a brisk wind that almost feels wintry … the kind of day that just chills you to the bone … and your body just yearns a nice comforting bowl of hot, piping soup. This is a hearty soup to cuddle up with and let it surround you with the toasty goodness of home.

There are so many delicious things swimming around in this cozy soup, I don’t know if it’s really fair to call it a ham bone & chickpea soup, but it is the ham bone that gives it such good flavor and the chickpeas that provide a really nice texture and contrast. Ham bones (and bones in general, but especially ham bones) have some sort of magic about them that make the broth of a soup soooo good.

What do you usually do with the ham bone after making a big ham for a feast or family dinner? To me, the ham bone is the treasure, the silver lining from the cleanup after the dinner. When I went to visit Mom and Dad a couple weeks ago, Dad mentioned that they had made a ham when the whole family was about and he offered to let me take the ham bone.

My reaction was incredulous: “What? Are you serious? You’re going to let ME have the ham bone?!???” … This was highly unusual and very unexpected. I wasn’t even there for the ham dinner and I was going to be the lucky one to inherit the ham bone? I was flabbergasted. And unprepared. I brought it home and had to think what I wanted to do with it … finally I decided on a simple ham & chickpea soup. No fancy seasonings or spices, just a lot of good wholesome ingredients.  It’s hearty enough to be a meal, with a little crusty bread or garlic toast on the side. You could add a salad if you want, but really, there’s everything you need for a good well balanced meal right there in the soup.

Ham Bone & Chickpea Soup

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Yield: 2 1/2 - 3 quarts of soup 1x

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled & chopped
• 3 – 5 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
• 3 large stalks of celery, chopped
• 3 large carrots, peeled & chopped
• 1 ham bone & juices from cooking the ham
• 2 – 4 cups water (or more, as needed)
• 1 1/2 cups dry chickpeas (or 2 – 3 cans, drained)
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 quart of canned tomatoes (or 2 15-oz. cans)
• 2 cups fresh or frozen yellow or green beans
• 1 1/2 cups sweet corn, cut off the cob (or frozen)
• 2 cups chopped ham
• 4 – 6 cups of fresh torn kale or spinach leaves

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Instructions

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the onion, garlic and celery and saute until the onion is soft & translucent. Add the carrots & saute for a few minutes more.
2. Stir in the ham bone and juices, water, bay leaf and chickpeas. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for at least 1 hour (or, if using dried chickpeas, 2 – 4 hours or until chickpeas are soft). Remove the ham bone and let cool enough to remove any ham clinging to the bone.
3. Add the tomatoes, green beans, corn and ham and cook for 15 – 20 minutes more, then just before serving, stir in the kale or spinach. Season to taste with salt & pepper if desired.

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Notes

Cooking time doesn’t allow for time to cook the chickpeas … if using dried chickpeas, add 2 – 3 hours cooking time.

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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This recipe was shared at Full Plate Thursday, Foodie Friends Friday, What’s for Dinner Sunday, Hearth & Soul Link Party, Moonlight & Mason Jars and Weekend Potluck.