Ingredients :
1 lb small navy beans (or your favorite bean)
1 onion; chopped
2 stick celery; chopped
3/4 c chopped carrots
2 Tbsp chopped garlic from a jar
1/2 tsp pepper
2 McCormick bay leaves, dried
leftover ham bone with meat on it
1-1/2 c chopped up ham; optional
4-5 c water
broth from the cooked ham
3 Tbsp fat from ham broth
Instructions :
1. Sort through the dry beans and dis-guard any bad beans or rocks you may find. Place in water and soak overnight with 2 teaspoons of baking soda.
2. Drain and rinse the beans well.
3. Chop the onions, carrots, and celery, I like to use some of the celery leaves in mine.
4. Place cut vegetables in a crockpot with the beans and Add a meaty ham bone that was leftover from a previous dinner and extra chopped up ham meat if you want more meat.
5. Add the leftover juice and some of the fat from the cooked ham, it will be jelled once it’s cold.
6. Add the water and the remaining spices.
7. Cover and let cook for at least 6 hours and remove the ham bone and remove the ham from the bone and return the meat to the soup; I like to mash some of the beans at this time, Cook for 2 more hours.
8. I like to serve my soup with some good ole cornbread….yummy…enjoy!
