Herbed White Bean Soup – A Slow Cooker Recipe

Herbed White Bean Soup

Happy New Year, everyone.  Would you believe here in Tucson we welcomed the New Year at midnight with SNOW!  What an exciting way to begin the first day of the year!

The other fantastic thing that occurred today, is that my sister Jill launched her new site, http://www.create3sixty5.com to showcase her beautiful photos.  She’s on a journey to post photos or other creative projects (she also paints) every day of the year.  Please feel free to visit & leave comments, she’d love the feedback.

So to take the chill off this snowy Tucson day (ahem!) let’s start off the New Year with a hearty pot of soup.

Recipe by:  Designs by Jeanne R

Ingredients:

2 cups dried white beans

1 teaspoon salt

pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 onion, chopped

3/4 cup carrots, diced

4 -5 cloves of garlic, minced

3/4 to 1 teaspoon oregano

3 bay leaves

3 large fresh sage leaves

2 tablespoons tomato paste

large ham bone

water

garnish with freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese

Directions:

Sort through & rinse the beans, then soak them in a bowl of water overnight.  If time is an issue, you can quick-soak by bringing them to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat, & allow the beans to soak for an hour.  In either case, (overnight or quick-soak) you’ll need to drain the water.

Add the beans & ham bone to your slow cooker, & add enough water to cover the beans & ham bone.  Add the bay leaves, salt, & garlic, onions & carrots.  Cook on low setting for about 8-10 hours, or high setting for 4-6 hours.  During the last hour, add the sage, oregano, pepper, onion powder & tomato paste.  Stir & let simmer.  Remove & discard the bay & sage leaves.  Taste & adjust the seasonings.  Serve hot with freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese, crackers or fresh bread.

Recipe Notes:

Feel free to use ham hocks, or my personal favorite which is smoked ham shanks.