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White Bean Soup Cuban Style

• 1 1/2 cups navy beans*
• 2 1/2 quarts water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
• 2 ounces salt pork, diced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, cut in strips
• 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 medium potato, diced
• 1 small butternut squash, seeds removed, cut in chunks
• 8 ounces smoked ham, diced
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

*Or, use 3 cans of navy or great northern beans and omit water and cooking step for dried beans.

Put beans in a large saucepan with 2 1/2 quarts water, bay leaves, and salt pork. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, adding water if necessary.
In a medium-size skillet, heat olive oil and saute onion, green pepper, garlic, oregano, ham, and tomato sauce for 10 minutes. In a separate saucepan, boil squash chunks for 5 minutes. Remove from water, adding same water to tomato mixture. Peel squash.
When beans are tender, add tomato mixture, potato, salt, pepper, and squash. Continue cooking another 30 minutes. Remove salt pork and discard. Serve in soup bowls. Serves 6. Adapted from The Columbia Restaurant Spanish Cookbook.
Shared by J. M. Phelps