Leftover Hambone Soup

I was searching around trying to find a recipe for my left over Honey Baked Hambone. I know I didn't want the traditional potato or split pea soup. I wanted something with a lot of veggies and simple to make. I went through a lot of recipes reading details of what ingredients to use and found a whole lot of bad. One recipe even asked for SIX chicken bouillon cubes to be added! Yuck! When I stumbled upon this recipe it sounded perfect. I added the celery to it and you could pretty much tailor the veggies to whatever you prefer. It was quick, easy and everyone loved it, even my picky husband loved it! Needless to say there was no leftovers when it was done. Leave a comment and let me know if you changed anything and how it turned out =)

LEFTOVER HAMBONE SOUP

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour, 15 minutes

Yield 6 servings

You can use up your leftover hambone to make this cozy, hearty soup loaded with tons of veggies and chunks of sweet ham!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 leftover hambone 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 stock of celery, diced
• 1 onion, diced 
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced 
• 1 russet potato, peeled and diced 
• 1 cup canned white kidney beans, drained and rinsed 
• 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels 
• 3/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 
• 2 bay leaves 
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 
• 1 1/2 cups leftover diced ham

• Place leftover hambone in a large stockpot or Dutch oven and add enough water to cover the bone halfway, about 6-7 cups. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until very fragrant, about 30 minutes to 1 hour; remove and discard hambone. 
• Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, carrots, celery and potato. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in ham stock, beans, corn, thyme and bay leaves; season with salt and pepper, to taste. 
• Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in ham until heated through, about 1-2 minutes. 
• Serve immediately.