Ham Bone Soup

I discovered a ham bone in my freezer the other day and thought it'd be marvelous with the lima beans I've been seeking a use for. My ham bone had slightly less meat than I initially thought it did, so I added in another third to half pound of ham dice. If your bone has a good amount of meat in it, I don't really see a huge need for the addition of more meat. This recipe adapts perfectly to a slow cooker, for those who love soup in the summer but don't love the heat cooking it produces. Hope you enjoy!

1/2 pound soaked lima beans
1 bay leaf
water
1 small slice dried galangal or ginger
1 large handful dried onion
2 omani (dried lemons)

1 ham bone
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced (mine are dry packed, not packed in oil)

1 cup celery, cut into 1/2-1" pieces
1 zucchini, cut into half moons
2 carrots, sliced
1/3-1/2 pound ham, diced (optional)
water as needed

Combine first group of ingredients (I add water to cover the beans by an additional 2 inches). Bring to a strong simmer and simmer until the beans are cooked through, about 1-1 1/2 hours. Add the second group of ingredients and let it cook another hour or so (plus water if needed). Remove the bone, omani and galangal. Cool the bone enough to handle and remove meat. Chop the meat and return to the soup with the last group of ingredients. Simmer another 30 minutes to an hour, or until you are ready to eat, adding water as needed. Serves 4. Also, great with a slice of bread.