Smoked Ham And Bean Stew

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 lb dried beans, any type
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onions, chopped or 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 2 medium celery ribs, chopped or 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped or 1 cup chopped carrot
• 8 medium garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 3 cups smoked ham, cubed (more or less, depending on your leftovers)
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 3 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups raw spinach, cut into thin strips
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes (i didn't drain them, i like it a little soupy)

Recipe

• 1 put the dried beans in 4 quarts of water--add 3 tablespoons salt and stir to dissolve. soak overnight at room temperature. (at least 8 hours and no more than 24.) drain and rinse well.
• 2 heat oven to 250 degrees. saute onions, celery, and carrots until they are softened and lightly browned. stir in garlic and cook for about 1 minute. add ham, broth, water, bay leaves, and beans. increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. cover pot and place in oven; cook 45 minutes to an hour.
• 3 add spinach and tomatoes to the pot, cover, and return to oven. cook another 30-40 minutes until beans are fully tender.
• 4 remove from oven; take bay leaves out of the stew. recover the pot and let it stand for 15 minutes before serving.