Oh No, NOT HAM again?!

Christmas dinner was delicious, the first time… and the second time… and maybe the third time, but by today, the idea of another ham dinner just didn’t sound appealing to any of us, and yet since we still have a large quantity of ham to use up and there is NO ROOM in our small freezer, ham it was going to be… in some form, at least.

Desperate to avoid a mutiny at dinner this evening, I started thumbing through slow-cooker recipes trying to find a soup recipe that would use up some of that remaining ham and maybe some of the potatoes leftover from our CSA days this Fall, but wouldn’t take all day to prepare.  Although my initial thought had been a creamy potato soup with ham, I ended up deciding on a savory Black Bean and Potato Soup, altering the recipe a little as I went to use ingredients I had on hand.  The end result was delicious and so I thought I’d share it here just in case any of you happen to have leftover ham sitting in your refrigerator.

Black Bean and Potato Soup

6 cups broth, I used a flavorful vegetable

1 can (16 ounces) black beans, drained

2 potatoes, diced

1/2 pound cooked ham, cut into pieces

1/2 of a 10oz can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chili peppers

       (add more if you like a spicier soup)

1/3 cup onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground oregano leaves

1 tsp ground thyme leaves

1/8 tsp ground cloves

Sour cream, chopped tomatoes, grated cheddar cheese, and crushed tortilla chips as desired for garnish

In Slow Cooker, combine broth, beans, potatoes, ham, peppers, onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, thyme, and cloves.  Cover and cook on Low 8 to 10 hours or on High 4 to 5 hours.  Serve.  Garnish with sour cream, chopped tomatoes, grated cheddar cheese, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

I really liked the addition of the crushed tortilla chips; Patrick did not.  The soup has a tasty broth, but it’s not thick, and he felt the chips became soggy too quickly.

Give it a try and see what you think!