Lunch: Contest-Winning Ham and Bean Soup Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound dried navy beans
2 medium onions, chopped
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 celery ribs, chopped
10 cups water
4 cups cubed fully cooked ham
1 cup mashed potatoes (without added milk and butter)
1/2 cup shredded carrot
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 bay leaves
1 meaty ham bone or 2 smoked ham hocks
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Instructions

Place beans in a Dutch oven; add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1 to 4 hours or until beans are softened. Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid.
In the same pan, saute onions in oil for 2 minutes. Add celery; cook until tender. Stir in the beans, water, ham, potatoes, carrot, Worcestershire sauce, salt, thyme, pepper and bay leaves. Add ham bone. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until beans are tender.
Discard bay leaves. Remove ham bone; and set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove ham from bone and cut into cubes. Discard bone. Return ham to soup; heat through. Garnish soup with parsley.

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