WHITE LIMAS & COUNTRY HAM SOUP

White Limas & Country Ham Soup image

Provided by Heidi Hoerman @heidicookssupper

Number Of Ingredients 14

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PARBOILING THE BEANS
1 pound(s) dried white lima beans or other dried beans
- water to cover beans
COOKING THE BEANS AND HAM
2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
6 to 8 ounce(s) country ham or other cured ham, coarsely chopped
4 to 6 cup(s) water
ADDING THE VEGETABLES AND SPICES SEASONINGS
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 to 3 - stalks celery, sliced
1 large red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon(s) each, ground sage, ground thyme, and ground marjoram (or other herbs and spices to taste)
- salt (if necessary upon tasting)

Steps:

Rinse the dried beans and pick through to remove any sticks or stones.
Place the dried beans in a large soup pot, cover with water to a depth of 2 inches over the tops of the beans. Bring to a boil. Turn off the burner, cover, and let rest 1 hour. (Alternatively, follow the pre-soaking directions usually found printed on the bag of beans)
Drain the beans, discarding the water they boiled in.
In the now-empty soup pot, heat the olive oil and saute the onion until translucent.
Add the country ham and saute and addition 2 or 3 minutes.
Add 4 to 6 cups of water, cover the soup pan, and move to a 300F oven for 2 hours. The beans should be cooked through and soft at this point. If they are still crunchy, continue to cook them. (Alternatively, simmer on top of the stove but check and stir occasionally to be sure the simmer is constant and the beans do not boil dry.)
Add the carrots, celery, red bell pepper, and the herbs. Stir to distribute all ingredients evenly. Cover and return to the oven for 1 additional hour.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt, which may or may not be needed depending on the saltiness of the country ham.
Serve hot.