Mexican Ham and Bean Soup

First, you have to observe my lovely Fiesta Ware mug that I got on sale the other day. Seriously, these things make me so happy ^_^ I actually wouldn't repeat this recipe, but I feel that it's important to put everything I make and take pictures of on here (that I get around to) because someone else might say "She's wrong, this sounds amazing" and want to try it. So, I made this soup the other day to use up some ham leftover from Thanksgiving. The soup turned out too bean-y, though, with not enough ham. Basically, no one is eating it! We'd much rather have chili, I suppose. Plus, the ham is glazed and good on its own. This soup would probably be good with just regular ham and much more!

Mexican Ham and Bean Soup (Adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:
1 pound dried pinto beans
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I actually used 4 cups of beef and 4 cups of chicken)
2 cups chopped onion (a medium sized one)
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked ham (increase this to at least 2 cups!), about 8 ounces
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 bay leaves
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 14 oz can no-salt diced tomatoes
1 chili (I used one in Adobo sauce we had leftover. I washed it off first)

Sort and wash the beans, place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil.
Cook 2 minutes and then remove from the heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain.

Combine beans, broth, and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) and bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender.

Stir in tomatoes and chili; simmer for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves and chili when ready to serve. Top with shredded cheddar cheese. Serves 8.

Nutritional value per serving with 1 tablespoon of cheese (I copied this from Cooking Light, but mine was probably different and served more than 8!): 303 Cal, 4.2g Fat, 1.8g Sat Fat, 958mg Sod, 47g Carb, ?? Sugar, 16g Fiber, 20g Protein

~Enjoy!