Crock Pot White Bean and Spinach Soup

Is it just me or does it seem like everyone is sick right now? Guess it was only a matter of time before it hit our house & poor Matt is down with a cold. Well, in my book the best thing for a cold is a bowl of homemade soup.

Matt picked this soup out of the book A Platter of Figs. A pretty basic white bean & ham soup but the seasonings really add a lot, especially the red pepper flakes, you don't usually expect a bite to white bean soup. The recipe suggested adding pasta & some wilted greens at the end. I can't imagine adding pasta to this since its already so filling & rich but loved the addition of spinach (plus all those dark leafy greens are so good for us).

The only big change I made to the recipe was the process for cooking it. The original recipe called for cooking it one day then letting it sit uncovered in the refrigerator overnight before serving. I guess this will thicken it up (which it didn't need) as well as let the favors blend more (though it was awful flavorful). I decided to try just cooking it in my crock pot all day which worked perfectly. I love having a soup or stew simmering away in the crock pot on a cold, wet day. This soup is a winner & we'll definitely make it again.

Crock Pot White Bean & Spinach Soup

(adapted from A Platter of Figs)

1 1/2 T olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled & sliced
1 bay leaf
3/4 - 1 lb smoked ham shank or hock
2 c dry white beans (I used navy beans)
6 c water
3/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
2 t fennel seeds, crushed fine
1 t kosher salt
6 oz spinach, roughly torn
olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions & cook until tender about 5 minutes. Add the garlic & bay leaf & cook about 3 minutes more.

Put the ham, beans, water, cooked onions, garlic & bay leaf into a crock pot. Turn to high & let cook for 3 hours. Stir in the red pepper flakes, fennel & salt. Let cook for 1 to 2 more hours until the beans are tender & the meat is falling off the ham bone.

Remove the ham bone & break up the meat as needed. (My meat fell right off the bone & just needed to be broken up a bit with a spoon. There was also a bit of fat to remove.) Stir in the spinach & let wilt. Drizzle a little olive oil over each serving.

4 -5 servings

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