Great Bean Soup

Total Time: 8 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 8 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 2 lbs dried navy beans, rinsed
• 1 meaty ham bone
• 2 1/2 quarts water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 stalk celery, sliced thin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

Recipe

• 1 cooking time does not include soaking beans.
• 2 soak beans overnight.
• 3 rinse and drain beans. in a large pot, combine beans, ham, and water.
• 4 melt butter in a medium skillet. add onion and celery and saute until light brown.
• 5 stir onions into soup, add remaining ingredients.
• 6 cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, all day, or until beans are tender.
• 7 stir occasionally and add water as necessary.
• 8 remove ham hock (or bone) and bay leaves; when cool enough to handle remove and discard bay leaves, skin, bone and fat.
• 9 cut meat into small pieces and return to soup.
• 10 stir, mashing some of the beans with the back of the spoon to thicken soup.