Vegetable Bean Soup with Ham

7-quart Dutch oven, Saladmaster Machine

Yield

5 servings

Ingredients

¾ cup dry navy beans
5 cups water, divided
1 medium onion
2 medium carrots
1 celery stalk
2 cups fresh spinach or *cabbage
3 cups low-sodium broth
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
1½ cups diced, cooked ham or 1/2 pound smoked turkey in chunks

Directions

1. Rinse beans, place in Dutch oven add 4 cups of water.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat to low; simmer 2 minutes, remove from heat. Cover; let stand I hour.
3. While beans are softening, process onion using #2 cone, carrots and celery using #4 cone, spinach or cabbage #5 cone.
4. Drain and rinse beans, return to Dutch oven, add 5 cups water, carrots, onion, celery, bouillon cubes, basil, thyme, pepper, bay leaves and garlic.
5. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 1-2 hours or until beans are tender.
6. Stir in ham and spinach or cabbage; simmer 3-5 minutes.
7. Remove bay leaves.