Ham and Tomato soup

The Soup Lady sure has a lot of left-over ham around after last week's adventure with Chunky Ham and Split Pea Soup. Do you know how hard it is to find a small smoked pork shoulder in the supermarket? Oh my, yes - lots and lots of left-over ham.

What to do with it all but to try and recreate a fabulous Ham and Tomato Soup that was had at a lovely little restaurant where the Soup Lady brunched? I think I made a pretty fair recreation of it:

Ham and Tomato Soup
2 cups of cooked ham, cut into a large dice
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup Del Monte Summer Crisp Vacuum Pack Golden Sweet corn (canned)
1 large can of peeled Italian style whole tomatoes
2 potatoes, peeled &cut into 1" dice
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Tabasco pepper sauce
3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth

Squee-ee-ee-ze the tomatoes between your fingers to shred them into an interesting texture. Resist the temptation to use sliced, cut or crushed tomatoes for this soup - one of the best features of it is the rustic texture.

Another defining element is the corn - the Soup Lady recommends Del Monte Summer Crisp Vacuum Pack Golden Sweet Corn which never gets soggy and retains its corny flavor. What a delightful little pop! is produced as each little kernel meets it's maker. How do they do it? Better living through chemistry, I guess.

Place all ingredients into a large soup pot and simmer together for 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the flavors are blended. The tabasco sauce suffuses throughout the other ingredients to enhance the flavors and create a piquant undertone to the whole thing. Yum.

Comments

[Robin]

How do I print your recipes? Just "Met" your web page--my family loves soup! Tried to print Ham & Tomatoe Soup, maybe it is my computer?

[Margaret Hartman]

This is a GREAT recipe - have had so many compliments on it. Am going to try Beef Barley in a crock pot next.
Happy Thanksgiving!

[maria]

I added small pinches of thyme and oregano to this and it was just great. Easy and tasty - the family loved it. Will absolutely make it again!