Best Ham & Bean Soup

Submitted by Sharon Anne

"My mother made the best Ham & Bean Soup, my recipe is AS CLOSE to hers as I could duplicate from memory; now my own family and friends love it too. It's a long list of ingredients, but oh the resulting soup is sooo good. Oh... my hubby insists, if we weren't already married, my recipe alone would be worth another proposal!"

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 22
• Serves: 12

ingredients

• Quick Soaking Beans

• 1 cup dry small white beans
• 3 cups water

• Pressure Cooker

• 3 cups fresh water
• 1 large meaty smoked ham bone
• 6 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced (NOT dry)
• 2 whole dried bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons dry onion flakes
• 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon paprika

• Soup Ingredients

• 1 cup celery, sliced (microwaved)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (29 ounce) can tomato puree
• 1⁄2 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons chicken base, paste
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 5 cups water (or to taste)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cracked black pepper (to taste)
• 1⁄2 cup small dry pasta shells

directions

1. Quick Soaking Beans: Heat beans and water until boiling, remove from heat. Cover and soak beans for 1 hour.
2. Pressure Cooker: After quick soaking beans, drain and rinse. Add fresh water, the ham bone and seasonings. Cover and heat equivalent to 15 lbs PSI; time for 7 minutes, plus 1 minute per 1000 ft above sea level. Remove from heat, to allow pressure reduce normally.
3. Soup Ingredients: Uncover, add the remaining soup ingredients (except pasta); simmer 45 minutes. Stir in pasta and simmer 15 more minutes, or until tender.