Virginia Ham Soup

The Wheel of Meals landed on Soups/Stews

The good ol' wheel landed on Soups, so I pulled out a recipe card from my Bridal Shower Collection (yup, still working on those three years later).  This recipe was provided by my cousin Laura.  We liked it, and even the leftovers were good.  The only change I made was to use Great Northern Beans instead of Lima Beans because I couldn't find any lima beans in the grocery store, frozen or otherwise. I like white beans better anyway.

Virginia Ham Soup
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1&1/2 cups ham, cubed into 1/2" pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 cup celery, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
4 cups chicken broth
10oz package frozen lima or baby lima beans
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/2 cup Jack cheese, cubed (optional)

for Croutons:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
4 slices firm white or wheat bread, cubed

Directions:
Heat butter in a large pot. Saute the onions, carrot, and celery until onion is soft and translucent.  Add broth, ham, beans, pepper, and thyme.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the croutons, place bread cubes in a bowl.  Mix together the oregano and melted butter and drizzle over bread, tossing to coat evenly.  Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375º for 6-8 minutes until golden.

Puree 1&1/2 cups of the cooked vegetable mixture in a blender and return to soup, stirring to combine.   Serve hot with croutons and cubed cheese.