Slow Cooker Friday: Hearty Bean & Ham Soup

Originally this was called Overnight Hearty Bean Soup - but I never soak my beans when putting in the crockpot, so I converted it to a crockpot recipe instead. I also needed to use the ham that I had thawed out - so I used ham instead of bacon.

1 pound dried navy beans
6 cups cold water
2 cups diced ham (1/4" - 1/2" pieces)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced celery
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
3 cups tomatoes diced
1 cup vegetable broth
1 teaspoon each sage, thyme, oregano
1 bay leaf
1 pound box elbow macaroni
parsley
freshly ground black pepper
grated Parmesan cheese

1. In large pan, heat olive oil and gently saute, mushrooms, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Do not brown. Add to crackpot.

2. Add the tomatoes, sage, thyme, oregano, ham, and bay leaf to the crackpot. Stir to blend, then add to beans to crackpot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

4. 10 minutes before crackpot is finished cooking, Cook the macaroni, drain, and add to the soup. Add parsley, pepper, and Parmesan to taste before serving.

Side Note: To keep your noodles from getting too soggy (when reheated), do not combine noodles into soup, just spoon the soup over the noodles in individual bowls.

Yield: 8-10 servings