Colorful Crockpot Bean and Ham Soup

Doesn't Fall just whet your appetite for soup? When the leaves begin to change color and the air cools down, there's nothing better than a crockpot full of hearty soup and a crusty loaf of bread to make the perfect lunch or dinner.

Because my hubby and I are not always the healthiest eaters, soup offers an easy way to pack lots of nutritious ingredients into a one-pot dish. My version of bean and ham soup is loaded with fiber, protein, calcium and vitamins with its combination of legumes and vegetables. Best of all, after doing a little chopping, dicing and sautéing, the crockpot does the rest of the work...my favorite kind of cooking!

Here is my recipe for Colorful Crockpot Bean and Ham Soup:

1 can light red kidney beans
2 cans Great Northern beans
1 can cannellini beans
2 cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
4 scallions
3 celery stalks
2 carrots
2 Roma tomatoes
3 sprigs fresh thyme
12 oz lean ham, diced
oil or butter

Chop scallions, celery, carrots, and thyme. Heat oil or butter in a pan. Add vegetables and thyme and cook until partially softened, about 5 minutes. Drain beans. Put all beans, vegetables, including diced tomatoes, and ham into crockpot. Add broth and water, then stir all ingredients together. Cook on medium heat for a few hours or on low heat all day.

Serve with warm bread or crackers.

Soups taste better and better as the flavors meld together. Mr. Merman and I especially enjoy our soups on the second or third day...that is, if there is any left by then!

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