Bill's navy bean soup

8 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 cup Navy beans
2 Celery stalks
2 Carrots
½ Onion
2 Ham hocks
Salt
⅛ teaspoon Black pepper
3 tablespoons Margarine
3 tablespoons All-purpose flour

Directions

1. Pick over the dried beans and discard any debris. Wash and drain.

Put beans in a large pot and cover with water. Let stand 8 hours or overnight. 2. The next day, chop celery, carrots and onions into ¼-inch pieces. (This is easier with a food processor.) Drain beans.

Add vegetables, 5 cups water, ham hocks or ham bone, and pepper to taste. Add salt if you wish. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat for 3 hours or until beans are tender. 3. Remove ham hocks and set aside to cool. Remove meat from bones and cut meat into half-inch pieces. 4. Put 2 cups of the soup into a blender along with the margarine and flour; puree. Pour this puree back in pan. Puree more of the soup if you prefer a smoother texture. Add the chopped ham pieces back into the soup. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until soup is slightly thickened.

Yield: 6-8 large servings. This soup is especially good when sprinkled with a few drops of hot pepper sauce just before serving.

Recipe By : Jo Anne Merrill

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