Cold Weather Comfort: Bean Soup

My Mother always made bean soup with the hambone and leftover ham from New Year's Day dinner, and I've made it plenty of times with holiday ham leftovers in January, then frozen it in meal-sized containers to pull out when the weather is it's coldest and the wind it's blusteriest.  But we've had a weird winter this year, and also had a ham at Easter. It's April, yet tomorrow it's supposed to snow ... again. May this be the last time that happens until the next winter!

Bean Soup

2 lbs dried beans (great northern, a bean mix, or navy beans are the best ones to use)

soak the beans per the package up to 8 hours, then drain and proceed with the recipe

3 tablespoons butter

2 large onions, roughly chopped

3 ribs of celery, washed and roughly chopped
a large ham bone, most meat removed and reserved for later in the recipe
1 carrot, grated

2 chicken bullion cubes (OR Herb Ox Sodium Free Bullion packets)

2 bay leaves

salt

pepper

In a large stockpot, melt the butter and add the onions and celery, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot and ham bone and saute a few more minutes. Add the prepared beans, and cover with water 2" above the solids, and add the 2 chicken bullion cubes. Add the bay leaves, additional ham meat, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, stir, and lower the heat to simmer slowly for at least 2 hours. Be a little scant on the salt -- about an hour into simmering the soup, taste it and adjust the seasoning to taste. 

This recipe, like many soup recipes, tastes so much better if made a day ahead and then reheated when you want it; the flavors marry with some chilling, and the flavor is much more complex and rich.

Makes about 6 quarts or so.