String Beans and Ham

This recipe and my Lima Bean Soup recipe are very similar. Both are Pennsylvania Dutch recipes and both are easy to prepare. I hope you try them.

2 to 3 pounds fresh string beans
3 pounds ham with bone or
1-1/2 lb. boneless ham, cut into 1" cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 tsp. dried parsley, divided or
4 Tb. fresh parsley, minced & divided
2 pounds diced potatoes
ground pepper

BROWN FLOUR
1 Tb. butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup water

Clean string beans and slice in half lengthwise; set aside.
In a large 5-quart Dutch oven, add ham with bone and cover with water.
Add celery, 1 tsp. dried parsley or 2 Tb. fresh parsley and onion.
Cook until tender. Discard bone, shred ham to equal 4 to 5 cups.
Return ham and add the string beans to the broth in Dutch oven.
Cover string beans with water and cook 1/2 hour after boiling.
Add potatoes.
Bring to a boil and simmer 1 hour until potatoes and string beans are tender.
Add rest of parsley and ground pepper to taste.

BROWN FLOUR: This is optional and sometimes I add it and sometimes I do not.
Melt butter in sauce pan and add flour. Stir until flour browns slightly. Add water gradually, to make gravy. Stir into soup.

Yield: 8 servings.

NOTE: When using cubed ham, add 1 Tb. oil to the 5-quart Dutch oven and brown the meat slightly. Sauté onion and celery with meat before adding the water; add parsley and string beans. Cover string beans with water and cook 1/2 hour after boiling; add potatoes. Follow rest of recipe above.

JACQUELINE'S COOKBOOK