white bean soup with ham

Dry navy beans,1 pound
onion,1/2 diced
garlic,2 cloves
lean turkey ham,6 oz diced
baby carrots,10 to 11
stewed tomatoes, 1 can
extra virgin olive oil,2 tbls
pepper,tsp (to taste)
kosher salt,3 tbls(you can add moreor less, to taste)
4 cups of water, add more if needed

you could buy the canned beans if you dont want to spend the time cooking them. I just prefer fresh cooked things.
i would have added Kale or spinach if i had it too.

Cook white beans in 4 cups of water. Add onion,bell pepper and garlic. let it this cook for about 1.5 hours, until beans get soft. Once they are soft then add half of the salt.Mash some of the beans in the broth to thicken it. Next add the stewed tomatoes and set aside.
Saute diced onions and carrots. Once golden saute diced ham.Add the rest of the salt and pepper to the soup and let simmer for 15 minutes. You may need to add more liquid but it should look a little thick.
Serve it hot, dont forget to sprinkle the cheese over it.
I love to eat it with some sour dough or french bread. My kids loved it.

Serving Size: makes about 10 1-cup servings

Number of Servings: 10

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user CALDERYO.