Bean and Ham Soup

Today I am making Bean and Ham Soup - something I make often in the cold months.  It not only is high in nutritional value, but it just plain tastes great!

It's an all day process.  I begin with a smoked ham hock (from my farmer who only raises grass fed animals - no hormones, preservatives or other yucky additives).  I  put maybe 8 cups or more of water in a large pot and let the ham hock simmer with celery, onion, and carrots.  After that has cooked for several hours, I remove the celery, onion, and carrots and discard.  I let the ham hock cool until it can be touched.

I chop meat off the bone and add that to the pot along with a package of 16 bean soup mix that has soaked overnight, and salt and herbs and spices and let that simmer most of the day.  Towards the end, I add a large can of chopped tomatoes with the juice.  Sometimes I add pasta during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Can't beat it!  It is economical, tastes great, and adds excellent nutritional value to your diet.