Makes 8 cups
2 cups dried Great Northern beans
1 large onion
4 whole cloves
4 cups water
4 cups chicken stock or canned broth
2 bay leaves
3 tbl. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cups chopped leeks, (white and pale green parts only)
1 cup chopped ham
2 tbl. chopped fresh rosemary or 2 tsp. dried, crumbled
1 1/2 tbl. chopped garlic
Place beans in medium pot. Add enough cold water to cover by three inches and soak overnight. Drain well.
Return beans to pot. Pierce 1 onion with 4 whole cloves and add to pot. Add 4 cups water, chicken stock and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 45 minutes.
Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion, chopped leeks, ham, rosemary and chopped garlic. Saute until leeks are soft, about 15 minutes. Add leek mixture to beans and simmer until beans are tender, about 30 minutes. Discard whole onion. Transfer 2 cups bean mixture to blender and puree until smooth. Return bean puree to soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Soup can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Reheat soup before serving.)
Marianne's tweaks: boiled the Honey Baked ham bone in water to make 4 cups of ham broth, substituted for the chicken broth. Reduced garlic to 2 cloves. Cook time was much longer than recipe states. Don't saute ham with leeks. Added 2 cups chopped ham at end, AFTER pureeing beans. Be sure to use rosemary and cloves. They give this soup a very unique taste!
Recipe credited to Chef Lisa Joy of The Restaurant at 23 Beverley in Staunton, Virginia,1994.
2 cups dried Great Northern beans
1 large onion
4 whole cloves
4 cups water
4 cups chicken stock or canned broth
2 bay leaves
3 tbl. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cups chopped leeks, (white and pale green parts only)
1 cup chopped ham
2 tbl. chopped fresh rosemary or 2 tsp. dried, crumbled
1 1/2 tbl. chopped garlic
Place beans in medium pot. Add enough cold water to cover by three inches and soak overnight. Drain well.
Return beans to pot. Pierce 1 onion with 4 whole cloves and add to pot. Add 4 cups water, chicken stock and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 45 minutes.
Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion, chopped leeks, ham, rosemary and chopped garlic. Saute until leeks are soft, about 15 minutes. Add leek mixture to beans and simmer until beans are tender, about 30 minutes. Discard whole onion. Transfer 2 cups bean mixture to blender and puree until smooth. Return bean puree to soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Soup can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Reheat soup before serving.)
Marianne's tweaks: boiled the Honey Baked ham bone in water to make 4 cups of ham broth, substituted for the chicken broth. Reduced garlic to 2 cloves. Cook time was much longer than recipe states. Don't saute ham with leeks. Added 2 cups chopped ham at end, AFTER pureeing beans. Be sure to use rosemary and cloves. They give this soup a very unique taste!
Recipe credited to Chef Lisa Joy of The Restaurant at 23 Beverley in Staunton, Virginia,1994.