I’ve started a recipe series that I call, A Man, A Ham, & A Plan. I bought a 5 1/2lb thin cut carver ham and I wanted to see how many dishes I could create with it. I was able to make 6 different dishes, each serving at least four. This first dish is a pressure cooker white bean and ham soup. Check back for the rest!

Pressure Cooker White Bean Soup
makes about 12 cups of soup

Ingredients

1 lb Great Northern Beans
1 tbl Olive Oil
1 med Onion, finely chopped
1 stalk Celery, split and chopped
3 cloves Garlic, smashed, peeled and minced
2 med Carrots, quartered lengthwise and then sliced
2 sprigs fresh Rosemary
3-4 sprigs fresh Parsley
3-4 sprigs fresh Thyme
2 Bay Leaves
4 cu Chicken Stock
2 cu Water
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 lb Ham, cut into a medium dice
Fresh Parsley, roughly chopped for garnish

Method

Spread beans onto a flat surface. Pick through them and discard any foreign objects. Then, transfer the beans to a large saucepan. Fill with enough water to cover the beans by a few inches and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Cover, remove from heat and let sit for 1 hour. After an hour, drain the beans and set them aside.

Set your pressure cooker to sauté. Once hot, add oil and onions. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add celery and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add carrots and sauté for 2 minutes more. Add drained beans. Tie together the rosemary, parsley and thyme with butcher twine and add to the pot. Add bay leaves, chicken stock, water, salt, and pepper.

Close pressure cooker and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. Once pressure cooking is complete, let it naturally release steam for 15 minutes. Then, use the quick release method to complete the process. Remove herb bundle and bay leaves. Carefully ladle about 1 1/2 cups of the mixture into a blender, being sure to include a nice blend of beans and other ingredients. Be very careful when dealing with hot liquids and a blender. Place the top on the blender and cover that with a dish towel. Blend the ingredients on low speed until smooth. Return to the pot and add the ham. Stir to combine. Set the pressure cooker on sauté and warm ingredients for an additional 10 minutes.

Ladle soup into individual bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.