Ingredients

• 2 cups dried navy beans
• 2 1/2 quarts water
• 1 (1 1/2 lb) ham bone (thick and meaty)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1 cup potato, cubed
• 1 cup celery, thinly sliced
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup carrot, cubed
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Boil the beans in the water for 2 minutes before removing them from the heat to let stand for 1 hour.

2. Add the ham bone, garlic and bay leaf to the beans, and cover and simmer them for 2 hours or until the ingredients are almost tender.

3. Add the vegetables and salt and pepper to taste, and simmer them for 1 hour longer. Remove the ham bone, cut off the meat and dice it to add to the beans. Reheat the soup almost to boiling, then remove the bay leaf.