Gluten-Free Ham and Bean Soup--A Warm-You-Up Solution to Cold September Days

I first made this recipe after we'd had a horde of family over for Easter dinner. We had leftover ham in abundance, and I couldn't think of what to do with all of it. Here's the solution:

Gluten-Free Ham and Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups mixed dried beans
• 8 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 ham hock
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1 whole chopped leek (don’t chop the grassy tip up though, only the bulb end)
• 1 fat clove of garlic, minced or two medium cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon of onion powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups chopped ham (in addition to the hock)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Instructions:

1.     Add all ingredients to a crock pot except carrots and celery.

2.     Cook 6 to 8 hours on low heat, stirring occasionally to keep it from burning at the bottom.

3.     Remove some of the beans and mash them or puree them in a food processor, then return them to the stock. Blend. (This thickens the soup.)

4.     Add celery and carrots.

5.     Cook for another 30-45 minutes on a low setting, until carrots are al dente.

6.     Serve warm with crackers, cornbread, garlic bread, or muffins.