Italian Ham and Bean Soup.

Italian Soup.

Serves 8-10.

Ingredients: 2 onions

                 2 Carrots

                 3 stalks of celery or the ends minus the leaves.

                 20g butter

                 2 Tbspns olive oil. Chop onions, carrots and celery

                                           into cubes or small slices.

                                           Heat butter and oil in a large

                                           saucepan over medium heat.

                                           Gently fry the vegetables for about

                                           10 minutes.

Add           1 tin of chopped Italian tomatoes.

                1 Ham bone [the bone which ham off the bone has been taken

                from] The butcher or supermarket will find one. Don't accept

                a bacon hock instead as the flavour is too strong for this.

Add           2 litres of chicken stock [4 teaspoons of granules ] or to cover

                bone.

Simmer gently for 1 hour and 30  mins.

Remove ham and all loose fat and bones, cool, then remove lean flesh, chop and add to soup. Add 1 can of borlotti beans or other beans.

If you want extra thick soup add 100g short pasta and cook for 7 mins.

You may need to skim fat from top of soup before adding beans and pasta [if using it] Stir in parsley/chives and ground black pepper. Serve with parmesan and crusty Italian bread. Bella!