Cheap White Bean and Ham Soup

This will be one of the cheapest and most flavorful things you will ever make. I was actually shocked when I calculated the cost per serving of this soup. But beyond, the cost the soup is definitely delicious, filling, nutritious, and the perfect thing to keep in your freezer for those days when you don’t feel like cooking anything.

White Bean and Ham Soup

Makes 14 servings

1 serving = 1 cup = 5 Points Plus

• 2 medium onions, diced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1# dry great northern beans, picked through and rinsed
• 3 bay leaves
• 10 sprigs of thyme
• 8-10 cups of water
• 2 ham hocks
• 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and roughly chopped

Spray your dutch oven or large stockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Sweat your onions, carrots, celery, and garlic until soft and tender (at least 13-17 minutes). Season with salt and pepper.

Add in your dried beans, ham hocks, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs. Stir to combine and cover with at least 8 cups of water. Bring up to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer and cover with a lid.

While the soup simmers, check the consistency and water level every 20 minutes or so. Adjust accordingly and keep stirring occasionally to make sure there is nothing sticking to the bottom of the pot.

After an hour or so added your crushed tomatoes and kale. (You might have to add the kale in batches depending on how large your pot is.)

Cook for another hour.

After 2 hours or so the ham hocks should be tender. Remove from the pot and let them cool for at least 20 minutes. When they are cool enough to handle remove all the meat from the bones (this will yield a small amount of meat, around 2-3 ounces).

Put the pulled ham meat back into the pot and continue to simmer until the beans are tender and the right consistency has been achieved. (You might have to add up to 2 extra cups of water throughout the cooking process depending on how water is absorbed into the beans or is evaporated. You can make the soup as thick or thin as you want.) Enjoy a bowl now and freeze the rest for later!

Here’s the cost breakdown:

• Onion                                                                        $0.99
• Carrot                                                                         $0.75
• Celery                                                                        $0.50
• Garlic                                                                        $0.25
• Beans                                                                        $1.80
• Bay leaves                                                            $0.40
• Thyme sprigs                                                            $0.25
• Water                                                                        FREE
• Ham Hocks                                                            $3.23
• Canned Tomatoes                                                $1.50
• Kale                                                                         $1.79
• TOTAL                                                                        $11.46
• Divide by 14 servings                                    $0.82 per serving