Ham and Bean Soup (Supa sa Šunkom i Pasuljem)

My maternal grandmother made soups all the time especially nice thick chorba type soups for winter months. Here is her recipe for Ham and Navy Bean Soup that I revised for the crockpot or slow cooker. We always had this on weekends in winter served with crusty bread or pogacha. I like. to make a sandwich from the meat from the ham hocks and a slice of raw onion to eat with the soup. It is a very simple recipe you can put into the slow cooker and forget it for 5-6 hours while it cooks. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS: 

1 lb smoked ham shank or ham hocks
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 medium potatoes peeled and diced into small cubes
2 cans (15.8 oz each) Great Northern Beans or 1 large jar of the beans, drained, and rinsed
5 cup homemade chicken broth or 2 32 oz cartons of Swanson's Chicken Broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

PREPARATION:

Spray a slow cooker or crockpot with cooking spray. Place the ham shank or ham hocks in the slow cooker first and then add the rest of the ingredients.
Cover and cook on low heat setting for 5-6 hours or until the meat is tender and almost falling of the bones.
Remove the ham, cut away the fat and discard, then dice the meat from the bone into small pieces. Stir back into the soup. If you like a thicker soup, remove some of the beans and mash them with a fork then stir back into the soup. Cook for an additional 1/2 hour. Serve with crusty bread or pogacha. Can be frozen and refrigerated for later use. Adjust salt & Pepper if needed.