Potato, Ham, and Spinach Soup

I've had designs on making this soup for well over a year. I used a recipe from the Louisville Courier-Journal as my starting point, but I made several changes along the way. I clipped the original recipe out of the paper sometime last fall or winter, and tucked it away in my recipe file, which grows larger by the week. I finally decided to rummage through it last Sunday and found this one. It's perfect for a chilly fall day, except those seem to have left Kentucky. Now, we've got highs in the mid-70s! Good grief...I thought we'd finally gotten rid of summer for awhile, but she's reared her ugly head again. Fall, please come back!
This soup is full of ham, potatoes, beans, and spinach. It's the perfect soup to make when it's time to use leftovers, because you could dump just about anything in here, and it would be good. The original recipe called for smoked sausage and kale. I used ham and spinach instead. I've really tried to like kale, but I just haven't seemed to acquire the tastebuds for it yet. I'm still willing to try it, though...maybe I just haven't had it the right way yet. Anyway, here's the recipe for this yummy, hearty soup. If fall hasn't fled your area, it would make a perfect dinner for those nights when you're snuggled up on the couch watching football! Enjoy!

Potato, Ham, and Spinach Soup

adapted from a recipe from the Louisville Courier-Journal

2 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 lb. ham

1 large onion, diced

6-8 large cloves garlic, minced

4 large potatoes, diced

1 large bunch spinach

2 quarts chicken stock (or a mixture of stock and water)

2 15oz. cans of white beans, drained and rinsed

salt and lots of black pepper

Heat olive oil in a wide, deep soup pot over medium heat. Add ham, chopping it into bite-sized pieces.

Add onion and garlic. Stir often, until softened, about 5-10 minutes.

Add diced potatoes. Wash and remove long stems from spinach. Cut into wide slivers. Add potatoes and spinach.

Add chicken stock and increase the heat to high. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the potoates are very soft. Use a potato masher to roughly mash the potatoes in order to thicken the broth. Add beans and heat through. Season with salt and pepper.