A hearty version of the classic soup made from scratch using dried navy beans. It takes more than a day to make, but is worth the effort.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs dried Navy beans – soaked
- 1 meaty Ham Hock (ham bone*)
- 1/5 lb Ham – diced
- 16 oz Chicken Broth
- 20 oz Water
- 14.5 oz can diced Tomatoes – undrained
- 1 Onion – diced
- 2 Bay leaves
- Kosher salt and Pepper to taste
- Fresh Parsley – chopped – for garnish
Process
- Mise en Place: Measure and prepare your ingredients prior to starting.
- Rinse and soak beans in fridge for a minimum of 8 hrs but overnight is best.
- Drain and rinse beans.
- In a Dutch oven, add tomatoes and juice, plus remaining ingredients.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat to slow simmer.
- Cover and simmer for 1.5 hrs. Add more water if needed.
- Garnish with parsley.
Note: if you want a thicker soup, slightly cool and then puree the beans in a blender or food processor.
* If you don’t have a ham bone, you can use ham bullion but it’s hard to find.
