Ham Bone Soup

Ingredients

• 1 (2-pound) meaty ham bone
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 medium onions, finely chopped
• 3 quarts water
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 small cabbage, cleaned and shredded
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained
• Dash of red pepper
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Combine ham bone, pepper, onion, and water in a large stock pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 3 hours.
2. Add potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, and red pepper; simmer an additional hour. Remove ham bone from soup; remove meat from bone and chop, discarding bone. Add chopped meat to soup; skim off and discard excess fat from soup. Stir in salt.
3. Ladle soup into individual serving bowls; serve warm.
4. Note: A cooked ham bone with ham scraps may be used. If cooked ham is used, reduce initial cooking time to 2 hours.