Speed Demon Ham and Bean Soup!
If you still have some smoked ham hanging around since Thanksgiving, as I did (Check the date!), this may be a good ending for it. The trick of putting half the beans through the food processor results in a thick, rich soup. If you want to add an extra step and a few calories, you could begin by sauteing the vegetables in a tablespoon of oil for 5 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients.
I figure if you've started with the food processor, you might as well use it to chop the vegetables, too. It's probably prettier if you chop them by hand, but if you're in a hurry to get back to your quilting, remember nobody will dare complain about odd shaped veggie bits if you offer to let them do the chopping next time.
Speed Demon Ham and Bean Soup
2 cans of cannellini white beans or navy beans
1 1/2 cups chicken broth (I use the kind that comes in an aseptic box and avoid MSG)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots (optional)
1/4 cup chopped onion or leeks
1/2 cup or more (to taste) fully cooked smoked ham, chopped
Black pepper to taste
Puree one can of beans in the food processor or blender until very smooth. Combine it and the remaining ingredients in your soup pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. 4 servings, but might be more if you used more ham. Enjoy!