Ham Bone Soup Dinner

1 ham bone with little ham scraps attached, about 1 lb

2 carrots

1 small onion

2 celery stalks

1 parsnip or small potato

1 Tablespoon dry herbs (sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme)

1 teaspoon crushed black pepper

1 Tablespoon Maggi Sauce

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

3 lovage leaves (optional, because it’s hard to find)

3 bay leaves

about 1 cup of green vegetable scraps, such as broccoli legs, mushroom legs, kale stems, cabbage cores, cauliflower leaves, etc.

1 gallon water

Place the ham bone, all spices, herbs, and vegetables in a large pot and add 1 gallon of water. Bring to boil, then simmer for 2 hours, uncovered. Do not add more water – let the broth concentrate.

Meanwhile, slice

1 medium onion

caramelize in a skillet with

1 tablespoon olive oil

Set aside. In a medium pot, place

2 cups white navy beans

and enough water to cover 1″ above the beans. Bring to boil, then simmer 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes longer, covered. Drain, rinse well under running water, drain again.

Add fresh water, bring to boil, simmer 5 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let stand until cool. Drain, rinse well under running water. Taste the beans. If they are not soft enough to eat, add water and simmer until soft, then drain.

Drain the ham broth through a colander into another pot, discard all the bones and vegetables, but reserve any remaining ham meat pieces. Add 1 tablespoon dried marjoram or oregano, the caramelized onion, ham pieces, and the cooked beans to the broth, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the flavor with Maggi, soy sauce, salt and pepper, but make sure to simmer for 5 minutes after adding these to let the flavors combine. Taste again. Serve with bread as a single meal.