Smoked Ham, Barley and Vegetable Soup

Submitted by Leslie in Texas

"I got this last year at the Epicurious.com website.It's from the April 2000 issue of Bon Apetit. It's a hearty soup, great for chilly evenings! Serve with crusty bread or a good cornbread and a side salad, if you wish.One of my sons likes a few drops of Tabasco sauce in his! To make it lower fat, I simmer the ham hocks in the chicken broth the day before, remove the ham hocks and refrigerate the stock and ham hocks separately. The next day I skim off the congealed fat from the surface of the broth,cut the meat off the bones, and heat the stock back up and proceed with the soup."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs
• Ingredients: 10
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 10 cups canned low-sodium low-fat chicken broth
• 3 lbs smoked ham hocks
• 3⁄4 lb russet potato, peeled and diced (about 2 large)
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 3⁄4 cup pearl barley, rinsed and drained
• 8 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (optional)

directions

1. Bring broth and ham hocks to a boil over medium high heat.
2. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add the potatoes, tomatoes with juices,onions, carrots,celery, barley, and oregano.
4. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium low,and simmer ,uncovered, until meat and barley are tender, about 1 hour.
5. Using tongs, remove ham hocks from soup, Cool and cut meat off bones and chop coarsely.
6. Can be prepared two days ahead to this point. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Bring soup to a simmer before continuing.
7. Add green beans, if desired, and simmer until beans are tender, about 15 minutes.
8. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.