Mains · By James
Ham and Green Bean Soup
This recipe is based on my Mom's, with some little twists to further excite the taste-buds (caramelizing onions, and adding dried red pepper). It was a regular favorite when I was young, particularly when the fresh garden beans were ready. Called "Schaubel supp" in Mennonite low-German, it was a mainstay for all the Mennonites we knew. Our family had it regularly as Cam and Joc were growing up, using the bone and leftover meat from a "Picnic" ham (from the shoulder), which was easy on our budget, and more richly flavored than a traditional leg ham. It was always served with rich white buns (made with milk, butter, and a little extra sugar), a favorite of everyone. Mom's and Auntie Jayne's white buns were/are legendary, and they would send bags of them home with us when we visited.
Ingredients
- 2 large red onions, or "sweet" onions — cut in half and then into slices (they'll dry out with caramelizing if too thin)
- 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 large cloves garlic — crushed
- 1 large ham bone — whatever meat is left on, take off the bone and dice (~1.5 cm dice); reserve diced ham to add later (this way the meat doesn't get boiled along with the bone, helping the texture)
- ~8 cups water (enough to cover the bone in pot), with 1 tbsp white vinegar and 2 bay leaves
- 3 medium carrots, sliced (~1 cm slices)
- 4 medium potatoes, cubed (~1.5 cm cubes)
- 3 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp dried red pepper flakes
- 1–2 tsp dried thyme (use fresh if you have it)
- 4 cups cut green beans (~2 cm slices)
- 250 ml sour cream mixed with 4 tbsp flour, and then thinned with ¼ cup sweet cream (10%, or whipping cream if you like)
- Salt to finish — to taste (needs quite a lot, even with the salty ham-bone — about 2–3 tsp)
Method
- 1
Caramelize onions in the butter/olive-oil in non-stick pan — low and slow, adding salt after 10 minutes, and adding balsamic vinegar after 20 minutes. Process will take about 30–40 minutes, stirring every 4–5 minutes. Add a little water after 15 minutes, and then as needed — get sticky bits up and prevent drying out.
- 2
Add garlic to caramelized onions and stir fry for a minute. Turn off heat.
- 3
While the onions are caramelizing add 8 cups water, white vinegar, bay leaves and ham bone to a large pot and bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer — skim off scum after a bit — simmer for about 1.5 hours. Remove bone and skim broth again.
- 4
Add the onion/garlic mixture, the carrots, potatoes, thyme, black pepper, and pepper flakes. Bring back to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
- 5
Then add the green beans and the diced ham pieces and simmer for another 10 minutes or so (until bean pieces are just fork-tender, not soft). If needed, add a bit more water so there is enough broth.
- 6
Add the sour cream/flour/sweet-cream mixture to the pot, and bring to a boil briefly to thicken the soup.
- 7
Salt to taste and serve.
A note from James
Drink/wine pairing: Pinot Noir.
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