Ham and Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried great northern or navy beans
• 8 cups water
• 1 large (about 1 lb) smoked ham hock
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups cooked ham, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Before you start

• Sort and rinse the beans.

Directions

1. Boil 2 min, cover and soak off heat 1 hr: dried great northern or navy beans, water.
2. Add, simmer covered 1 hr: step 1, smoked ham hock, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves.
3. Lift out hock, shred meat back in; discard bone and bay leaves: step 2.
4. Add, simmer 30 min until beans are creamy: step 3, cooked ham.
5. Season to taste: step 4, salt, ground black pepper.