Autumn Hearty Ham Stew
Enjoy this fall recipe of Autumn Hearty Ham Stew!
What’s your favorite season?
For many of us, that answer would be fall! There’s something so special about the sound of the crunching leaves, the beautiful colors, the first fires, and the smells of our favorite soups and stews!
Many of us will soon wonder what to do with our leftover ham or turkey and this Hearty Ham Stew recipe can be a great save! This is a THM-E recipe with a secret ingredient! If you want to avoid a Crossover, be sure to use a lean meat in this. Most ham on the bone is an S, but you can buy 96% lean ham if you look for it!
The secret special ingredient is one that I learned to incorporate thanks to the Trim Healthy Mamas, Pearl & Serene! Okra is not a favorite veggie for many, but since this is blended into the broth and is tasteless and invisible, you only get the goodness… and there’s lots of goodness in okra! In recent years, okra has been praised for its ability to help stabilize blood sugar. In addition, the mucilage of okra binds excess cholesterol and toxins found in the bile acids, making it easier for the liver to eliminate them.
This hearty ham stew is full of rich flavor, and since you can’t detect the okra, it’s a great (and budget-friendly) family meal! No special ingredients in this one, but if you were wanting to ramp up the protein, this would be a great place to add a few tablespoons of gelatin to the broth as well. Trim Healthy Mama Just Gelatin is from pasture-raised beef and helps to balance the amino acid profile of your meal.
You may be wondering why this recipe calls for an organic raw carrot. Of course, you are welcome to substitute a peeled non-organic carrot, but organic carrots are one of the few organic vegetables that are affordable and since most nutrients in a carrot are actually in, or just below the skin, it makes sense to leave the skin on. If you are not going to peel your carrot, I do especially recommend organic since any pesticides on non-organic carrots will primarily be in the outer layer.
I used a “bean mix” for this recipe that I absolutely love. It has a variety of grains and legumes and I buy it through iHerb – you can check out the ingredients and details here. If you don’t have or want to buy a mix, you can just pick whatever grains or legumes you like fromaa those ingredients and create your own favorite combination. Just red beans and brown rice would be great together – or maybe lentils and pinto beans! The sky’s the limit; just be sure that you use whole grains to keep it healthy and on-plan!
You can have a couple of bowls of this and stay nicely in E mode, or you can have a slice of sourdough or sprouted toast alongside if you’d like! Personally, my favorite option is rye crackers that give a nice crunch and are perfect for dipping!
Now enjoy your Hearty Ham Stew!
Hearty Ham Stew
This is fall comfort food! If you are blessed with a meaty ham bone, you can use that in this recipe, but that will likely make this meal a Crossover. If you want to stay in E mode, use lean diced ham or this would be fabulous with shredded chicken or turkey breast.
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1/2 cup organic unpeeled diced carrot
- 1/4 cup diced green pepper
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1.5 cups frozen okra
- 8 cups turkey broth (or whatever low-fat broth you prefer)
- 2 cups bean soup mix (or use any combination of whole grains and legumes that you like)
- 1 pound lean diced ham (you can also make this with chicken or turkey breast)
- 1/2 Tbsp dried thyme
- 1/2 Tbsp mineral salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
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Add diced onion, celery, carrot, green pepper, and garlic to large soup pot.
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Put the frozen okra and 2 cups of the broth in a blender and blend on high until the okra is completely broken down. (don't worry, you won't see or taste the okra in your soup!)
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Add the okra mixture, the rest of the broth, the bean mix, and the ham to the pot along with the thyme, salt, and pepper.
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Bring to a boil over high heat. Once the mixture is boiling, turn the heat to low and simmer for 90 minutes. Stir every 30 minutes or so.
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Serve with a slice of whole grain sprouted bread or a rye cracker, if desired.
Jessica is a Christian homeschooling mom of five and married to her knight in shining armor for over 20 years. She is a THM Certified Coach and loves to share her recipes while managing the huge THM online community. Some of the links in her recipes may contain affiliate links to products she uses and loves. If you make a purchase, using these links, she’ll earn coffee money, which she promises to drink while creating more recipes that you’ll love.
Do you think this could be done in the crockpot? It looks yummy.
Hi Marilyn, YES, I sure do think it could work in the crockpot. I would do it on low for 8 hours. If you pre-soak the beans, they may not take quite as long! Let me know if you try it and how it works out!
I made a pot of this today. Been following THM plan. It was absolutely delicious!!! I used homemade vegetable stock for the broth. Will definitely make again. Thank you for a simple, healthy recipe.