A little bit cooler today! Hubs and I tracked down a bale of straw and some pumpkins to put on the front porch next to the werewolf. Most all of the Halloween decor got put out yesterday. We have a couple more things we may put out yet.
After we found our straw and did a little grocery shopping, we came home and I started this soup in the Instant Pot. While it was cooking, we made some chocolate chip cookies and some dinner rolls. Soup turned out better then I expected! Used leftover ham from last Sunday’s supper that we froze for later use. Ham was slow cooked with brown mustard and ground cloves.
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 large carrots, diced
5 stalks celery, sliced thick
1 pound dry 15 bean soup mix, rinsed and drained
6 cups water
2 cups ham juice (leftover from slow cooker) - use extra water if not available
1 ham bone (some meat left on is fine)
1 bay leaf
3 cups diced ham (also leftover from slow cooker)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
1-2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Set Instant Pot to “Sauté”. Add olive oil, onion, and carrots. Sauté 4-5 minutes. Add bean mix, celery, water, ham juice, bay leaf, and ham bone. Seal pot and set to high pressure for 35 minutes. Natural release for 10 minutes, then remove lid. Stir in tomato sauce, ham, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Add vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste.
I totally eyeballed the measurements on this, and still turned out very good. Carrots were a little more done than we prefer, so next time I’ll probably add with the celery instead of sautéing.
