Ham Cannellini and Wheat Berry Soup
Patricia @ ButterYum
I prefer to buy bone-in and non spiral-sliced ham s so I can use the leftover ham bone to make flavorful stock which can then be used to make tasty soups and stews. This particular recipe takes advantage of leftover ham, stock made from the bone, a few freezer staples, and some canned beans - you literally just toss everything in a stockpot and heat it up. Super hearty, super flavorful, and super easy. The wheat berries are chewy and fun to eat - if you can't find cooked wheat berries in the freezer section of your grocery store, feel free to cook your own (directions below) or substitute cooked pasta or rice.
Ham White Bean and Wheat Berry Soup
serves 10
Ingredients
To make the soup:
1 batch of ha
ham stock (recipe below)
2 cups frozen corn kernels
16 ounce bag frozen peas and carrots
16 ounce bag frozen wheat berries (see note below)
4 cups diced ham
30 ounces canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
salt and pepper to taste
chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Directions
Place the stock, veggies, wheat berries, and ham in a large stock pot and heat through.
Gently stir in the beans; taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Serve with lots of fresh chopped parsley.
Note
To cook wheat berries - simply boil them in salted water or chicken stock for 45-60 minutes until they're soft but chewy.
Ham Stock
Ingredients
one ham bone
10-12 cups cold water
1 medium onion cut into quarters (don't worry about peeling it)
4 cloves of smashed garlic (again, no need to peel)
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried parsley (or a bunch of fresh stems)
Directions
Place everything together in a large stock pot and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 60-90 minutes.
Strain all the solids from the stock; discard.
Cool and freeze stock for use later or proceed with following recipe.