The Christmas ham went to its final reward in this soup and it turned
out really well.

Black bean soup

Bone from 1/2 of a smoked ham plus 2c diced leftover ham
or
1 thick slice of smoked ham.
1 lb dry black beans
2 bay leaves
Salt
Baking soda
2 TB olive oil
2c diced onion
1c each diced celery and carrot
2 garlic cloves, minced
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (available canned in most markets)

Rinse and pick over the beans for stones and other foreign matter. Place
in a soup pot with the ham bone or slice, bay leaves, a big pinch of
salt, a big pinch of baking soda (helps the beans keep their black
color) and about twice as much water as needed to cover the beans. Bring
to a simmer and cook until the beans are almost done, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
During cooking check the pot and add water if needed to keep the beans
just covered. If using a ham bone, remove and discard. If using a slice,
remove, dice, and reserve. Discard bay leaves.

In another pot, heat the olive oil and saute the onions, celery, carrot,
and garlic until soft but not browned, about 10 minutes. Pour in the
beans and their cooking liquid and simmer the mixture for 10-15 minutes.
Remove about 1/4 of the soup to a food processor along with 1 to 3 of
the chipotle peppers and with some of the sauce (more peppers = more
zing in the final soup). Process to a puree and return to the soup. Add
diced ham and simmer, stirring, for a final 5 minutes, Check seasoning
and serve garnished with sour cream, fresh cilantro, and/or salsa.


--
Peter Aitken