Here’s a favorite recipe—favorite for so many reasons. It’s delicious, nutritious, easy to prepare, and a real crowd pleaser.

This soup is perfect for enjoying the cooler temperatures of autumn, and easy to freeze for any meal or gathering.

Ingredients:

• One ham bone with plenty of ham meat still attached (or chunks of ham if you don’t have a bone)
• 3 quarts chicken stock (or water)
• 1 smashed garlic clove
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• cannellini beans (either 1 pound dried—see note—or 2 cups canned)
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 TB paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• (optional for garnish): fresh parsley, cilantro or rosemary sprigs

How to Prepare:

(Note: If you're using dried beans, either soak the beans in water the night before you prepare the soup, or allow longer cooking time at low temperature for the soup mixture to ensure the beans are soft when finished).

• In a large dutch oven or cast iron pot, combine the ham bone (or ham meat), stock, onions, garlic, seasonings, bay leaves, and carrots.
• Bring the contents to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for one hour or until beans are soft. Remove pot from heat, remove the ham bone and set aside. Discard bay leaves.
• When ham is cooled slightly, shred the meat into small pieces, add ham meat back to the pot and discard the bone. (If you're using ham meat without a bone, you can skip this step.)
• Cook for another 30 minutes, especially if the beans are not yet soft. The contents of the pot will have reduced to a scrumptious stew consistency.
• Remove the pot from the heat, add lemon juice to the pot and stir thoroughly.
• If desired, add garnish to each plated bowl.

(Note: this soup is perfect served with a crispy baguette or french rolls and butter)