Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup

It was so nice to come home to the wonderful rich aroma emitted by this soup. We were hungry and the soup was ready. Barry said, “The only thing that’s missing is the cornbread!” Now I need to find a crockpot cornbread recipe that bakes while I’m away for the day. I followed the recipe of Platings and Pairings blog exactly except for omitting a teaspoon of salt called for in the beginning (I left it out of the recipe below). I also did not use additional salt to flavor at the end; the ham provided sufficient salt. I  used turkey broth instead of chicken broth.

Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup   About 6 servings

6 cups bone broth or low-sodium chicken broth (I used turkey broth)

1 pound dried Navy or Great Northern beans (rinsed)

3 large carrots (cut into 1/2-inch dice)

2 celery stalks (cut into 1/2-inch dice)

1 small yellow onion (minced)

3 garlic cloves (minced)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 large (meaty ham bone (about 4 lb.)

Salt and pepper (to taste)

Fresh parsley (minced to garnish)

1. Add broth, beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, pepper and bay leaf to a slow cooker. Stir to combine. Add the ham bone and submerge in broth. Cover and cook on HIGH until beans are tender, 6 to 8 hours. We also added additional broth as the beans began to expand. 
2. Discard bay leaf. Remove ham bone and let sit until cool enough to handle. Once cool, dice any ham meat and stir it back into the soup.
3. Season soup with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.