Mung bean and ham soup

Have you ever bought an ingredient on spec and found absolutely no use for it? Let me introduce you to my whole mung beans. I bought a largish bag of them quite a while ago (embarrassingly so) and just never got around to making anything. But when I wanted to make a soup and all other legumes had been consumed, it was time to turn to the mung beans.

I wasn't sure how to prepare them - a lot of recipes called for soaking overnight (I'm never that organized) or cooking for several hours (doable, but not preferred). So when I came across a recipe that could be prepared in around an hour it seemed too good to be true. It wasn't - this is a fast soup to pull together, and the results are surprisingly good. This soup isn't going to knock anyone's socks off, but it's comforting and pretty nutritious. Good fall fare.

Mung bean and ham soup
adapted from this recipe

2 cups whole mung beans, rinsed
4 cups water
olive oil
1 1/2 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 large hot banana pepper, minced
4 cups stock (2/3 ham, 1/3 chicken)
2 cups cooked ham, diced
1 tsp sherry vinegar
bunch of arugula

Bring the mung beans and water to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until all the water is absorbed and the beans are looking mushy (approximately 45 min). Meanwhile, saute the onions, garlic, and pepper until softened. When the beans look ready, add the stock to the pot along with the veggies and ham. Bring back to a boil and simmer for 15 min - the soup will start to look quite creamy. Adjust the seasoning (sea salt, freshly ground pepper, a little cayenne, maybe something else?), add a little sherry vinegar, and toss in the arugula. Stir for a minute or so until the arugula has wilted, and it's ready to serve.