Crock Pot Ham and Bean Soup

Instructions

1. Rinse and drain the beans. Pick through and remove any unwanted bits of debris. Place in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
2. In a skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Once the oil is hot (but not yet smoking), add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the onion is turning translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Transfer to the slow cooker with the beans.
3. To the slow cooker, add the ham bone (or diced or shredded ham), broth, 2 cups water, tomatoes, potatoes, bay leaf, smoked paprika, chili powder, black pepper, and rosemary or thyme. Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or low for 7 to 8 hours, or until the beans are tender.
4. Once the soup is cooked, remove and discard the bay leaf and rosemary or thyme (the herb leaves will mostly have fallen off, so it will likely just be the stems left to remove, which is perfect). If using a hambone, remove it from the soup and shred or chop any meat left on it, then stir the meat back into the pot. Stir in the red wine vinegar and peas. If you like a thinner soup, add additional water until you reach your desired consistency.
5. Taste the soup. Depending on how salty your ham is, you may need to season it (or you may not need to add any salt at all). If the soup tastes flat, add kosher salt a pinch or two at a time until you are happy with the seasoning. It should taste flavorful and savory, but stop before it gets too salty (you can always sprinkle a little extra salt on your soup bowl if you are worried about oversalting the whole batch). Enjoy hot.