Ham and Potato Soup

Here's a hearty soup that makes good use of a leftover ham bone, especially if it's got some good meat on it!

Ingredients:

1 meaty ham bone, extra fat removed
Meat from the ham bone, about 1 cup of cubed ham
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup sliced celery
4 cups water
1 cup peeled and sliced carrot
2 cups peeled and diced potatoes (about 1 pound)
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

If your ham was salty, cover the ham bone with water, bring to a boil, then pour off the water and discard. This will keep your soup from being too salty. If your ham wasn't salty, then feel free to skip the first boil and begin with the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed stock pot. Add the onion, garlic, and celery and cook over medium low heat for about 5 minutes, just until the onion begins to turn translucent. Add the water, along with the ham bone, and cook until the ham is hot. Remove the ham from the pot and allow to cool. Take the meat off of the ham bone, cube it, and return the ham to the pot. Add the carrots and potatoes, along with the bay leaf, and half of the parsley and cook until the carrots and potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add the remaining parsley on top of the soup, just before serving.

Serves 4 to 6

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Taste the ham before you cook it. If you find that it tastes salty to you, do include the first step. This will decrease the possibility of an overly salty soup, and reduce the sodium content as well.