Last weekend, we put the Traeger smoker to use on a delicious ham. One of my favorite things to do after smoking a ham, turkey or chicken is to make a robust stock out the bones, and then of course, to use that stock to build a delicious soup or stew. Last night, I used the ham stock that I made over the weekend to concoct a beautiful ham, bean and potato soup; and let me tell you … this recipe is definitely going to be sticking around!
Ingredients:
- 32 oz. Ham Stock (more or less is fine)
- 32 oz. Veggie Stock
- 1 White Onion, diced
- 1 lb. Ham, shredded/diced
- 4 cans Pinto Beans, rinsed
- 1 T. Cumin
- 1 T. Garlic Powder
- 1 t. Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 c. Frozen Peas (optional)
- 1 c. Kale, finely chopped
- 20 oz. Frozen Hashbrowns
- Salt and Papper
Directions:
- Combine in a large pot over medium-high heat, ham stock, veggie stock, onion, ham, pinto beans, cumin, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. If the stock doesn’t completely cover all of the ingredients, add as much water as needed. Bring pot to boil, and then lower heat. Simmer for 1-2 hours.
- 10 minutes prior to serving, add frozen peas, frozen hash browns and kale. Stir gently to break up hash browns and fully incorporate. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Note: both the ham and ham stock can both sometimes be a little salty; be sure to taste soup/broth before adding additional salt.)
- Serve hot with saltine crackers or croutons
Tips:
- Ham Stock can be nearly impossible to find in stores, so feel free to substitute chicken or veggie stock if needed. Both will still be delicious. However, you can easily make your own ham stock if you’re up to it! (This is what I usually do!)
- Ham Stock Recipe: I make ham stock every time I cook an entire ham (typically holidays). Simply save the ham bone and add it plus a whole onion (cut in half) and a whole head of garlic (cut in half) to a large pot of water. Do not peel/skin the onion or garlic. Throw it all in! Boil for 3 hours. The water should darken slightly and reduce significantly. Strain the entire pot to reserve only the stock. For storage, cool to room temperature and then refrigerate in sealed container for up to a week. You can also freeze this stock and use later.
- Ham Stock Recipe: I make ham stock every time I cook an entire ham (typically holidays). Simply save the ham bone and add it plus a whole onion (cut in half) and a whole head of garlic (cut in half) to a large pot of water. Do not peel/skin the onion or garlic. Throw it all in! Boil for 3 hours. The water should darken slightly and reduce significantly. Strain the entire pot to reserve only the stock. For storage, cool to room temperature and then refrigerate in sealed container for up to a week. You can also freeze this stock and use later.
- When serving, I like to make my own croutons. Simply cube up a good white bread loaf, drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic powder. Toast in the oven under the broiler until golden. Be sure to flip your croutons half way through to get both sides! My family would save all the “butts” from the loafs of sliced bread and then make croutons out of them when we had enough … so don’t toss out your butts!
