Ham & Bean Soup

GREAT SOUP FOR COLD WINTER NIGHTS! Add a grilled cheese or just hot crusty bread & you have DINNER!

1 Ham Portion with Bone in about 4 lbs ( I had my leftover ham from Christmas & it had about 3 LBS meat & the bone) You could use meaty Ham Hocks or 1 Ham Hock with another portion of ham to cook with it as long as you end up with about 3 LBS. of meat!
Water enough to cover the ham & ham bone 2 inches above the ham!
Put the above in a large deep pot & simmer for about 2 hours.
Remove from pot & let cool enough to handle, Remove meat from the bone & cut into large bite sized pieces.
IN the pot with the ham broth from cooking the meat & bone add the following:
2 Large Onions Chopped
2 Large Carrots peeled & cut into nice sized pieces
4 Large Potatoes peeled & cubed onto big bite sized pieces
2 Ribs of Celery diced
Dash of Pepper (I use White Pepper)
2 Bay Leaves
2 TSP Parsley Chopped or Dried Flakes
Taste to see if you need to add salt, mine needed no added salt it was perfect from the ham! Make sure you have enough broth to cover the vegetables & meat if you do not add water to cover enough so it is 2 inches over the pot contents!
Cook on medium heat until Carrots are tender. Now add the meat you cut into bite sized pieces & add 2, 40 OZ. cans of Great Northern White Beans. Cook on simmer about 1 & 1/2 hours stirring every now & then.
Now stir about 3 heaping TBS of Cornstarch into 1 cup of cold water. Stir until smooth. Slowly stir this into your simmering soup! Cook & stir until nice & thick! Remove the bay leaves & ladle up heaping bowls of SOUP MADE WITH LOVE!