Recipe: Ham and Bean Soup (using sherry)

HAM AND BEAN SOUP

2 cups dried beans, soaked for 4 hours in cold water to cover
3 quarts broth or water (or more as needed)
1 bouquet garni (including herbs such as rosemary, thyme and parsley)
1 ham bone (or 2 ham hocks)
2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 cup dry sherry
Hot pepper sauce (for serving)
Sour cream (optional, for serving)

Drain the soaked beans and put them in a pot with the broth, bouquet garni, ham bone or hocks, salt, onion, and garlic and simmer, covered, until the beans are soft, about 2 hours. Add the sherry as soon as the beans begin to soften. Keep adding liquid as needed to keep the beans covered.

Take the ham bone and hocks out of the soup, allow to cool a bit, and pull the ham away from the bone. Chop or shred it into bite-size pieces and put it back in the soup. If you used ham hocks, pull the rind away from the hocks and discard the rind. Pull the meat away and add it to the soup.

If you like, puree the soup for a few seconds with an immersion blender to give it a little richer consistency. But be sure to keep it identifiably lumpy.

Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Pass the hot pepper sauce and sour cream at the table.

Freezes well.

Makes about 2 quarts
Source: Cooking by James Peterson