Ham Bone and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons bacon grease
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 potatoes, diced
• 8 cups hot water
• 8 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1 ham bone
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 (16 ounce) package frozen corn
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Melt bacon grease in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in hot bacon grease until vegetables are slightly tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir potatoes into onion mixture; cook and stir until golden, about 10 minutes.

Stir hot water and chicken bouillon together in a slow cooker until bouillon is dissolved; add onion mixture, ham bone, diced tomatoes, corn, tomato sauce, black pepper, and salt.

Cook soup in the slow cooker set to Low for 4 to 6 hours. Remove ham bone from soup and let rest until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from ham bone and stir meat into soup.