Ham and Bean soup

How I love Paula Deen.

this is a yummy, easy recipe that I whipped up in the crock pot instead of a stock pot, and it worked great. We had left over ham in the freezer, and I used canned beans because I was in a hurry - easy, peasy, squeezy.


Ingredients:
• 2 pounds Michigan navy beans
• 4 quarts water
• 1 thick slice leftover spiral ham, cut into small pieces (not country ham, which is too salty)*
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves

Directions:
Rinse the beans in hot water until they are white. Place them in a stockpot, add the water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 hours. Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion until lightly browned. Add the onion to the pot of beans. Remove 2 cups of the bean mixture, puree in a blender, and return to the soup. Add to ham to soup mixture. Just before serving, season the soup with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with parsley.

*Cook's note: This recipe can also be made with ham hock.