1-Hour Ham and Bean Soup

Made this one up myself, from a mix of different recipes. No need to wait for dry beans to soak. You get great homemade soup in about an hour!

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 1  cup  diced or sliced carrot
• 1  cup  diced celery
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 2  cups  diced ham
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  minced garlic
• 3 1⁄2 cups  ham stock (water can be substituted) or 3 1⁄2 cups chicken broth (water can be substituted)
• 2 (15 1/2ounce) cans great northern beans, not drained
• 3 -4  tablespoons tomato sauce
•  pepper

Directions

1. Heat vegetable oil in a soup pot.
2. Add carrots, celery and onion.
3. Sauté for about 4 minutes, just until onion is beginning to soften.
4. Add ham, sauté 2 minutes.
5. Add garlic, sauté one more minute.
6. Add 3 cups stock, bring to a low boil for about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice.
7. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine all but 1/2 of a can of beans, including juice, and the tomato sauce.
8. Process until smooth.
9. Add remaining stock to processor to thin mixture.
10. Process to combine.
11. Add mixture from processor into ham mixture.
12. Add remaining 1/2 can of beans, stir to blend, bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
13. Serve hot!