Ham & White Bean Soup

WARNING: It is this recipe that resulted in my finger cut that resulted in a trip to the ER that resulted in four stitches. As such, this recipe includes some important safety tips.


Important Safety Tip: When working with canned ingredients, please cautiously remove lid before moving on with the cooking process. This has been a public service announcement.


Injuries aside, this recipe is so easy and so fast, I had to post it anyway, as there is virtually no excuse not to make it. "I don't have enough time to cook" will not get you through this one. "I hate chopping vegetables" also won't get it done. "I can't find pre-cooked ham." Nice try. Surely you have some leftover from Christmas.

Since pre-cooked ham is the central protein in this soup, it can make seasoning a bit tricky. When I made this, I found that a quarter teaspoon of salt was plenty. However, to be on the safe side, my advice is to season at the very end, little by little, in order to avoid a complete sodium overload.

Ham & White Bean Soup
Adapted from Gourmet

Ingredients
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 (14 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 (19-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2-pound piece baked ham (1/2 to 3/4 inch thick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes (results in about 2 cups of cubed ham)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
5-ounces of bagged baby spinach or baby arugula (a standard bag is about 10 ounces, so use half of the bag)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Directions
Cook garlic in 1/4 cup oil in a 3 1/2- to 4 1/2-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Coarsely cut up tomatoes in can with kitchen shears [AFTER REMOVING THE LID FROM THE TIN CAN], then add (with juice) to garlic in oil. Stir in broth, beans, ham, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir in greens and cook until wilted, 3 minutes for spinach or 1 minute for arugula. Add salt, if needed (salt may not be needed depending on the seasoning level of the pre-cooked ham). Garnish with toasts and shaved parmesan cheese.