PORTUGUESE BEAN SOUP

Here's one of our family favorites. I take this to potlucks, I share it with friends who need "comfort" and I make this a meal in itself every couple of months in my household. Elyse loves the soup and the cabbage. My friend Walter loves this recipe so I finally put it down on paper for him. Pastor Sonny loves this soup too. There is something in it for everyone. I hope you enjoy it too. Enjoy!

2 ham shanks
1 med onion
2 medium carrots
2-3 nice stalks of celery
4-5 small potatoes
1/2 head of head cabbage
2 c. uncooked macaroni
2 cans of beans (your choice)
2 cans of stewed tomatoes
2 -3 quarts of water or stock
1 ring of portuguese sausage
Assorted herbs as desired (bay leaf, oregano, basil, thyme)
Salt to taste

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add ham shanks. Reduce to medium and let cook for approx. 40 - 45 minutes or until meat is beginning to separate from the bone. Remove from pot into a separate bowl and let cool. Peel carrots and chop carrots and celery into bite size pieces. Add to the boiling water. Add salt or chicken/beef boullion and lightly season to taste. Reduce heat and cover it. Let it simmer for 20 minutes. After the ham shanks cool off enough to handle it (about 15-20 minutes), carefully cut off the meat from the bones, and cut into bite size chunks and set it aside. The meat should not be completely cooked, nor falling off the bone. It should be somewhat firm, but not hard. Pliable but definitely not overcooked.

In the meantime, rinse and cut potatoes into bite size chunks. Add potatoes, macaroni, tomatoes and juices to the pot and bring it back up to a boil. Sprinkle herbs into pot, re-season the soup and bring it back up to a boil. Cover and reduce heat and let it simmer until the potatoes and the macaroni are completely cooked. This should be another 10 to 15 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently to make sure that the macaroni does not stick to the bottom of your pot. Add more liquid if necessary and re-adjust your seasoning accordingly. The mixture in the pot will begin to naturally thicken on its own with the starches from the potatoes and the macaroni. Finally add the chunks of ham into the pot. Add beans including liquid. Cut sausage and cabbage into bite size pieces and add into the pot. Cover and let the whole pot simmer again for another 10 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally. Check all veggies for doneness and turn off the stove when done.

Serve with fresh croutons and a salad. Or better yet, fresh cornbread. Yum.