A Crock-Pot Meal For

When You Miss Your Mom

 Cure your homesickness with this ham and bean soup recipe

Writing & Photos by Miya Moore | Design by Lilly Cochran

Ham & Bean Soup

It’s that time of year when the weather gets colder and the days get shorter — crunchy leaves, NFL football, dive bars with Christmas lights, leather and denim. 

Consequently, this is also the time of year when homesickness really comes to a head. As the ‘ber months come around, the yearning for a home-cooked meal sets in like clockwork. The nostalgia for my mom’s meals is particularly strong — especially when they’re straight from the Crock-Pot. 

This is the best time of year to replicate some cozy recipes from home, so I thought I’d share one with all of you, handwritten by my mom for Backdrop magazine: Mrs. Moore’s very own Ham and Bean Soup! It’s a little labor-intensive, but worth every bite. b

Ingredients

1 pound dried northern or navy beans

1 large smoked ham bone 

2 cups shredded or diced carrots 

1 medium stalk celery

4 cloves garlic, minced 

7 cups chicken broth or stock

2 bay leaves 

1 tablespoon dried parsley 

½ teaspoon celery salt

½ teaspoon dry mustard powder

Fresh pepper & Tabasco sauce to taste 

Directions

1. Soak the beans overnight (or rinse and drain them) and put them in a large Crock-Pot

2. Nestle the ham bone into the center of the beans 

3. Add the rest of the ingredients to the Crock-Pot 

4. Cook on either: low heat for 7-9 hours or high heat for 4-5 hours. Cover and cook until the beans are tender 

5. Optional: For thick, creamy soup, partially puree the soup in a blender 

6. Shred ham from the bone back into the soup 

7. Stir thoroughly and enjoy