Ham and Bean Soup

The holidays are over but my freezer holds the remnants of a delicious holiday ham. In a big freezer bag is a ham bone with lots of tasty morsels attached. I have good intentions but too often the bag gets hidden only to be discovered when it is past its prime.
Not this year. I made a tasty pot of Ham and Bean Soup, hubby loved it!
There are as many recipes for this simple soup as there are cooks. This pot tasted especially good so I wrote down the recipe!

Ham and Bean Soup
Put ham bone with plenty of meat attached in your big crock pot, add 3-4 cups of water. Let cook several hours until the meat falls off the bone. Refrigerate broth, remove fat. Cut meat in bite size pieces.

1cup dry white beans I used cannellini, cooked till soft or use 1 can of beans, drained

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 cup chopped celery

2 carrots, diced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 cups diced potatoes

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 bay leaf
Saute onions, garlic, carrots and celery in a little olive oil till soft. Add broth, potatoes and seasonings. Cook till potatoes are tender. Add beans, ham and additional water. Taste to adjust seasonings, it may need salt.

Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve on a cold winter day with a loaf of crusty bread.