Chipotle Ham & Bean Soup

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Saute the onions, carrots and celery until they are softened and light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic for about 30 seconds, and then add in the ham and saute for a few minutes.

Pour in the chicken stock, beans and spices, stirring well and scraping up the browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Before you add any salt, taste the broth—the beans/ham/stock can be quite salty as it is!

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours or longer. Remove the bay leaf and serve with lots of crusty bread!