Smoky ham flavor in a slow cooker simple vegetable soup. We occasionally have a ham bone, not a real common occurrence when you’re cooking for two but it does happen. So what to do with a ham bone from that holiday spiral cut ham? You can toss it or make soup.
Inspired by an allrecipes.com recipe called Ham Bone Soup I read all 200 plus comment for helpful hints. There are frequently useful things in the comments and should be read if you’re doing a recipe.
Rating
I’m at a low 4 or high 3 but my wife, the ham person really liked it.
Notes: Like many hams, ours had a sugary coat. This needs to be reduced as much as reasonably possible. Just a really good rinse should do usually. The sugery taste is not needed in the soup and I think would be “weird” .
The salt could easily get out of hand here. Do not add any, use low sodium broth and rinse the beans.
Lastly, there is a lot of fat in a ham. If this is a concern (and it should be) refrigerate overnight and scrap the disgusting stuff off. I still had a bowl the first day right out of the pot and it was very good.
This is more than enough ham on this bone.
Rinse the ham under running water to remove as much of any sugary coating as possible. Also this is a good time to remove any fat the is easily removed.
Chop two pealed potatoes, two pealed carrots, a medium onion and two stalks of celery. Fell free to vary the veggies.
Rinse one can of beans. I used light kidney but did not have low sodium that would be preferred.
In a large crock pot combine 48 oz of low sodium chicken broth, 1 t pepper, 1/2 t garlic powder, and optional 1/4 t red pepper flakes. Add the rinsed beans and the veggies.
Add the ham bone and cook for 8 hours on low.
With about one hour left in the cooking, remove the bone and strip of meat.
Return the meat to the slow cooker.
Finish the 8 hour total cooking. You may now serve or refrigerate overnight and scrap off any solidified fat.
Ham Bone Vegetable Soup – Crock Pot Edition
by DrDan at 101 Cooking for Two April-13-2013
Smoky ham flavor in a slow cooker simple vegetable soup. We occasionally have a ham bone, not a real common occurrence when you’re cooking for two but it does happen. So what to do with a ham bone from that holiday spiral cut ham? You can toss it or make soup.
Ingredients
1 ham bone with meat
2 carrots diced
2 celery chopped
1 medium onion chopped
2 medium russet potatoes cubed
1 – 14oz can diced tomatoes
48 oz low sodium chicken broth
1 – 14oz can light kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 t black pepper
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t crushed red pepper optional
Instructions
1) Rinse the ham under running water to remove as much of any sugary coating as possible. Also this is a good time to remove any fat the is easily removed.2) Chop two pealed potatoes, two pealed carrots, a medium onion and two stalks of celery. Fell free to vary the veggies.3) Rinse one can of beans. I used light kidney but did not have low sodium that would be preferred.4) In a large crock pot combine 48 oz of low sodium chicken broth, 1 t pepper, 1/2 t garlic powder, and optional 1/4 t red pepper flakes. Add the rinsed beans and the veggies.5) Add the ham bone and cook for 8 hours on low. With one hour left in the cooking, remove the bone and strip of meat. Return the meat to the slow cooker. Finish the 8 hour total cooking. You may now serve or refrigerate overnight and scrap off any solidified fat.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 8 serving
Marrow bones are generally the leg bones from either beef or veal. The marrow not only just boastes of its heavenly buttery taste but also offers various health benefits. This most nutrient-dense superfood contains a substantial amount of good fats and energy and provides an exceptional source of the omega-3 required for healthy brain development and anti-inflammation. It also contains minerals (iron, phosphorus, and trace amounts of thiamin and niacin), collagen, stem cells that turn into blood cells inside the body when ingested and a group of compounds called alkylglycerols that help boost and maintain our immune system. You can use marrow bones to make bone broth, or you can roast the bones and use the marrow the same way you would use butter — spread it on toast, toss with vegetables or melt over the steak.
Salad
1.5 kg Grass fed organic marrow bones (beef or veal)
2 tsp Fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tsp Fresh thyme, chopped
Hawaiian black lava salt
Black peppercorn, crushed
Crusty bread, toasted (leave it out if doing keto)
Baby Romane salad leaves
1 Red onion, sliced into rings
2 tbsp Parsley, chopped
1 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 tbsp White balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 230C/450F. Place the bones in a baking dish. Finely chop the rosemary and thyme leaves. Sprinkle the chopped herbs over the marrow bones.
Transfer them to the hot oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes until no longer pink inside. Meanwhile prepare the side salad and crusty bread if using.
Combine the salad leaves, onion rings and chopped parsley in a small mixing bowl. Toast the bread until crunchy if using.
After 15 minutes, check the bones. The marrow should be hot, with a soft and jelly-like consistency, but not liquid. You want to catch it before the marrow begins to “leak out” of the bones. Roast another five minutes if needed.
Drizzle the salad with olive oil and white balsamic vinegar.
Season the marrow with lava salt and freshly milled black pepper. Serve while still hot with salad and crusty bread if using. Use a spoon to scoop out the marrow and enjoy! Once you enjoy the marrow, save the bones and dripping to make bone broth.
Shake up your ham and bean soup with this Puerto Rican ham bone soup with beans and vegetables. You will love this excellent soup, which we know as Christmas Ham Bone Soup. Just follow these easy step by step photo instructions.
Table of Contents
Introduction and My Rating | Pro Tips and Recipe Notes | The Ham Bone | Do I Need Chicken Broth? | The Beans and Vegetables | Can I Do This in a Crock Pot? | Storage and Other Notes | Other Ham Bone Recipes | STEP BY STEP PHOTO INSTRUCTIONS | Recipe Card | Nutrition Information
This has been a standard at our house for years. We are the only ones calling it Christmas soup, but I’m sticking with the name since that is when we usually make it.
We all love our a good ham and white bean soup, and my ham bone vegetable soup is also a great hearty meal. But this soup brings some definite change of pace with the seasoning that makes my wife as for this one most commonly.
My Rating:
It is very good with thick and hammy taste.
Pro Tips: Recipe Notes for Puerto Rican Ham Bone Soup
I originally called this recipe “Puerto Rican Chuletón Soup AKA Xmas Ham Bone Soup” but shortened the name.
Based on a recipe from a children’s book “Everybody Serves Soup” by Norah Dooley. I should have guessed the origin with two children librarians in the family (wife and a daughter).
The Ham Bone
If your ham is covered with a sugary coat of some type, rinse off as much as possible under running water before starting.
Also, there is usually a coating of fat over a lot of the ham. Cut or scrape it off.
Do I Need Chicken Broth?
Like all my ham soups anymore, I just use water with the ham bone to make the broth. I don’t see the need to use chicken broth, which will add salt. There is plenty of that is the ham already.
The Beans and Vegetables
The original recipe calls for pigeon beans… not in West Michigan. I see this as your option to make the soup what you want. I used black and navy beans.
When you cover the ham bone with water, measure it. The vegetables are set for about 6 cups of water. If you need a lot more, increase the vegetables and beans proportionally.
Can I Do This in a Crock Pot?”
This is a stovetop recipe but can be done easily in a crock pot. Add everything at the beginning. Cook on low for 2-3 hours, then remove the ham bone and strip the meat. Add the meat back and cook for another 1-2 hours until potatoes and carrots are tender.
Storage and Other Notes
I prefer to cool in the refrigerator overnight then skim the fat before serving but not required.
The sodium can get very high on this soup. Ham is high in sodium, some more than others. Use low sodium beans and rinse them. Finally, never add salt to a ham soup until near the end, and you are absolutely sure it is needed.
We had a very large ham bone with lots of meat on it for the pictures. It took 12 cups of water to cover the bone reasonable, so I increased all other ingredients proportionally. I ended up with an enormous amount of soup. Half is in the freeze.
Good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Good frozen for 3-4 months.
This is so NOT cooking for two friendly unless you have freezer space or a crowd coming for dinner.
Rinse the ham bone under running water if there is a sugary coating. Also, if there are large chunks of fat, then trim them some.
Cover the ham most of the way with water. Measure water and increase all other ingredients proportionally. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and then decrease to low and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes.
Peel and chop potatoes and carrots into bite-size pieces. Chop onions.
After the ham is cooled a bit, hand clean and shred into bite-size pieces.
Add all ingredients back to the broth. Bring to boil with medium-high heat then decrease to simmer for 1-2 hours until potatoes and carrots are done.
Cool in the refrigerator overnight then skim the fat before serving is recommended but not required.
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Puerto Rican Ham Bone Soup
Shake up your ham and bean soup with this Puerto Rican ham bone soup with beans and vegetables. You will love this excellent soup which we know as Christmas Ham Bone Soup. Just follow these easy step by step photo instructions.
42ozprecooked beans – I used 2/3 navy and 1/3 black beans
1/2cuprice – not instant or rapid cooking
1teaspoonturmeric
1/2teaspooncumin
1/4teaspoonpepper
US Customary – Convert to Metric
Instructions
Rinse the ham bone under running water if there is a sugary coating. Also, if there are large chunks of fat, then trim them some.
Cover the ham most of the way with water. Measure water and increase all other ingredients proportionally. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and then decrease to low and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes.
Peel and chop potatoes and carrots into bite-size pieces. Chop onions.
After the ham is cooled a bit, hand clean and shred into bite-size pieces.
Add all ingredients back to the broth. Bring to boil with medium-high heat then decrease to simmer for 1-2 hours until potatoes and carrots are done. You can taste test near the end and add a bit of salt if needed.
Cool in the refrigerator overnight then skim the fat before serving is recommended but not required.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
This makes a large amount of soup. The amount varies by the amount of water needed.
If your ham has a sugar coat, rinse it off. And then do it a second time, you do not want the sweetness in the soup.
Ham bones freeze well for 3-4 months.
The sodium can get way high on this. The ham is high in sodium. Try to use low salt beans and rinse them. You can add salt near the end if needed.
This is set for 6 cups of water. If you need more to mostly cover the ham bone, you will need to adjust the vegetable and spices up some.
You can skim off the fat after the soup is refrigerated over night. This is preferred but not required.
Good in refrigerator for 3-4 days and frozen for 3-4 months.
There is nothing exact about either the serving number or nutrition on this recipe. I estimate a serving size of about 1 1/2 cups.
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword Ham Bone Soup, Ham Soup, Puerto Rican Ham Bone Soup
Check Out Other Great Recipes
Make it Perfect First Time and Every TimeDon’t miss out, check the full post above. Almost every recipe includes easy step by step photo instructions so you can visualize yourself cooking this recipe along with helpful tips and options.
Nutrition is generally for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
Editor’s Note: Originally Published February 3, 2011. Updated with newly edited pictures, expanded discussion with more details, and a table of contents.
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