Ham and Bean Soup with Rivels

When you raise your own food or purchase it from local farmers, the price is higher because the quality is higher. That food is savored and every little scrap is consumed.

In our home we eat a lot of warm-ups, but we can get bored with the same meal after so long. When I notice food sitting in the fridge for a few days its time create a new meal from it. 

I cooked two hams at the beginning of the week that fed us and some friends. There was still enough meat for several meals but the appeal of baked ham again was becoming less appetizing. So I made soup, and it stretched the ham even further. 

 I think this is something our grandmas would do in times of necessity. Ours is out of good stewardship and even some necessity. 

I don’t have an exact recipe. I learned to make soup from my mom, grandma, and mother in law. Good soup is made with love and lots of onions. 

𝐇𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬

۞Add a left over bone in ham or ham hock to a stock pot of water. Add onions and carrots. 

Low boil for 2-3 hours

۞Strain off the meat and veggies and reserve the broth. When cool, pick the ham from the bone and add to the broth. Add in the carrots and more fresh onion. Simmer this for another hour to cook the onion. 

۞Add in a couple cans of white navy beans or pinto beans. I used dry beans soaked in salt water for 6 hours, drained and pressure cooked them in my instapot in some of the ham broth for 16 minutes. 

۞ Add in a 16 oz jar of diced tomatoes 

𝐓𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬

1 cup flour

Pinch of salt

2 eggs

Splash of milk

Add more flour as needed

Mix by hand to form a ball of dough. You can add a small amount of milk to soften it as needed. 

Bring the soup to a boil and drop small pieces into the boiling soup. Boil for another 20 minutes and then serve.

Enjoy!

And remember, soup is always better the second and third day.