Recipe(tried): White Bean and Vegetable Soup

I used a ham bone and some fairly large chunks of ham instead of the ham hocks. Because of that, it wasn't at all fatty, but if using the ham hocks, I would recommend chilling it before adding the carrots and potatoes and removing all the congealed fat from the hocks before continuing. It is a delicious soup. The recipe was clipped from a magazine (Bon Appetit, I thinkand have no idea when) and was from a restaurant in Alexander, Virginia called La Bergerie.

White Bean and Vegetable Soup

8 servings

1 pound dried white beans (such as Great Northern)
4 cups chicken stock or canned broth
2 pounds smoked ham hocks
1 onion, peeled
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bouquet garni (3 thyme sprigs, 3 parsley sprigs and 1 bay leaf0
8 ounces russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 large carrots, peeled , diced

1 small head green cabbage, shredded
1 cup frozen lima beans, thawed

Place beans in a large pot. Add enough cold water to covere by 3 inches and soak overnight. drain well.

Return beans to pot. Add 10 cups water, stock, ham hocks, whole onion, garlic and bouquet garni and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Add potatoes and carrots and simmer 30 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to simmer before continuing.)

Bring large pot of water to boil. Add cabbage and boil 10 minutes. Drain well. Add cabbage and lima beans to soup and simmer 10 minutes. Season to taste with sal and pepper. discard onion and bouquet garni. Remove ham hocks from soup. Cut meat from bones. Return meat to soup and reheat. Ladle into bowls and serve.