Spiral Sliced Ham

This soup is best made a day ahead, as it is simmered all day in a crockery cooker. Turn it into a sausage soup by frying one pound of sausage before frying the onions, drain off the fat. Sprinkle each serving with freshly ground Tellicherry peppercorns and a pinch seasoning salt. Freeze individual portions for quick meals.

    2 cups 13-bean soup mix
    10 cups water
    6 cups water
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    2 cups chopped yellow onion
    8 cups water
    ⅓ cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, sliced
    2 tablespoons dried parsley
    1 (14 ½-ounce) can Italian-style tomatoes, undrained
    1 (6-ounce) can Italian tomato paste
    ⅓ cup Heinz® chili sauce
    1 (1 ½-pound) leftover ham bone from a Glazed Ham
    2 dried bay leaves
    2 dried red chiles (chile de árbol)
    2 teaspoons ground cumin seeds
    2 teaspoons dried oregano
    2 teaspoons garlic salt
    1 teaspoon chicken base
    ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    Sour cream
    Fresh parsley sprigs for garnish

1.  Day 1: Soak beans in the 10 of cups water for 24 hours.

2.  Day 2: Drain the beans and place them in a 12-quart stockpot
     with 6 cups water. Bring the beans to a boil over medium
     heat. Cover and turn off heat. Leave to steep, covered 1 hour
     then drain and rinse.

3.  Stove top method: In a 12-quart stockpot, heat the oil and fry
     onions. Add 8 cups of water, drained beans, tomatoes,
     parsley, undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, chili sauce, ham
     bone, bay leaves, chiles, cumin, oregano, garlic salt, chicken
     base and pepper. Cook over low heat and add more water as
     necessary. Stir occasionally. This is more complicated than
     the crockery cooker method. The cooking time varies and can
     take about 5 hours for the beans to soften.

     Crockery cooker method: Set cooker on high, add 8 cups
     water and the drained beans. Fry the onions in oil in a 10-inch
     frying pan until translucent. Add with the undrained
     tomatoes, parsley, tomato paste, chili sauce, ham bone, bay
     leaves, chiles, cumin, oregano, garlic salt, chicken base and
     pepper. Cook for 6-8 hours or longer if needed. Taste some
     of the soup to test the texture of the beans.

4.  Garnish: Spoon sour cream into a small plastic bag. Snip off      
     a corner and pipe a swirl pattern in soup. Pull a bamboo
     skewer through cream. Sprinkle with parsley.

     Makes 8 servings