Ham and bean soup

I wanted to share a recipe that's been a family favorite for years. I grew up with it and every winter I start craving it. It's also about the easiest recipe ever.

Ingredients
1 lb bag of dried 15 beans
Ham

The ham can be almost any kind. My mom usually made this soup after a ham dinner and just throws the ham bone (with the left over ham) in the soup. Sometimes I just use thick ham slices or ham chunks. It's really up to you but it has to be thick enough that it doesn't disintegrate while cooking.

Put the beans in a big bowl and put enough water in it that the beans are covered. Let them soak overnight.

In the morning, rinse them and put them in a crock pot. Cover with water. Add any seasoning you want. I usually just do garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
Cover and let it cook for a couple hours. Stir occasionally.

After a couple hours, add the ham. If its a ham bone you can add it sooner. The only reason to wait for adding the ham is so it doesn't fall apart. Don't wait too long to add the ham though because you want the ham flavor in the soup.

By the evening, the beans are soft and it is ready to go. I like mine cooked a little longer so that the beans have turned into kind of mush but its a personal preference.

This recipe is enough food for a few people. The beans are only a couple dollars a bag so its super cheap and goes a long way. It's delicious, filling and gluten free. Only two ingredients and a crock pot. Can't get easier than that!

(Pictured below are the kinds of ham and beans I used most recently for this recipe. Although the beans say "Cajun" I just don't use the Cajun packet they include. I used about half of the ham. )