Navy Bean Soup

I love soup on a cold day!  Last week we got 18" of snow on one day, so I was happy to stay home and just sit in front of the fireplace with a bowl of soup and some cornbread!  If you have canned or already cooked beans, this is a 20 minute dinner!   You could tweak the recipe by either cooking it in the slow cooker with dry beans or even do the whole thing in the pressure cooker.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 celery stalks, diced
1 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups chicken broth (or 2 cans)
1-2 cups cooked navy beans
1-2 cups ham, cubed or shredded
2 teaspoons parsley
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium stock pot, heat the oil over medium and saute the celery and onion until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).  Add the carrots and continue saute for another 3-4 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook til fragrant (30 seconds) then add the broth, beans and ham.  Simmer for about 10 minutes until warmed through and vegetables are tender.  Add parsley and salt and pepper.  I served it with corn muffins made from a mix.