If you ask most cooks what they do with their leftover ham bones, they’ll answer, ‘make a pea soup‘. Ralph and I love pea soup, but our kids did not. It was a texture thing. The thick, lumpy consistency – I like chunks of vegetables in my pea soup – caused their gag reflex to go into overdrive. Today’s recipe is my compromise. I switched out dried peas used in the classic version with a mild tasting cannellini bean indigenous to Tuscany. Rather than allowing the beans to cook until they disintegrate, I add them just before the soup is finished cooking. The bean’s integrity remains intact completely eliminating my daughters’ charming gag fest. I borrowed the minestrone combination of beans and pasta, but used the ancient wheat grain, farro for the pasta piece. Farro’s chewy texture offers a gorgeous contrast to the creaminess of cannellini beans. Some simple vegetables and summer savoury round out the soup creating a hearty, flavourful, chunky way to use up your Easter ham bone.

TUSCAN BEAN SOUP WITH FARRO AND HAM

• 1 meaty smoked ham bone
• 10 cups water
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium celery stalks, chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 plum tomatoes, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more if needed
• 2 teaspoons dried summer savoury
• 1- 19 ounce can white kidney bean called cannellini beans, drained, rinsed and drained again
• 1 cup farro
• Freshly ground black pepper

THE STEPS

1. Place the measured water and ham bone in a Dutch oven or a large, heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 hour.
3. Add the chopped vegetables, salt, pepper and summer savoury, stir to combine (leave the bone), and return to a boil, skimming the surface with a spoon as necessary to remove any scum.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables are fork tender.
5. Meanwhile prepare farro according to manufacturer’s directions.
6. When the vegetables are ‘al dente’, add the cooked farro and drained beans.
7. Simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
8. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.

THE LOVE: Be sure to use a meaty ham bone so that you have lots of ham meat in your soup.

Thanks for reading.