Ham and Bean Soup

Right, well, this seems to be turning into a habit.  I guess that Sunday afternoon just always seems like the perfect time to put a pot of soup on the stove.  I had a really tasty bean soup at one of my favorite St. Paul spots this week, and it left me craving more bean soups.  This is another four ingredient soup (ok, technically seven with broth and spices-oh wait-eight if you count both types of beans) that wows with its depth of flavor and coziness factor.

Hearty Ham and Bean Soup

1/2 c onion, chopped
3 carrots, thickly sliced
10 oz cooked ham, diced (I used a ham steak)
16 oz vegetable broth
1 c cooked white beans
3/4 c cooked pinto beans
1 1/2 t ground sage
1/2 t ground pepper
(my ham was salty enough on it's own, but you can add salt if you so desire)

-saute onions in 1 T olive oil for 5 minutes
-add carrots and saute for additional 2 minutes
-add ham and broth, bring to a boil
-add beans and spices
-simmer on low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours
-serve with lots of crusty bread and butter (and maybe a beer)