Ingredients :
- 1 pound dried navy beans
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 8 cups water
- 1 medium carrot, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 smoked ham hocks
- 2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions :
- 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 1-4 hours or until beans are softened. Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid.
- In the same pan, heat oil over medium heat; add onions and celery. Cook and stir until crisp-tender, 3-5 minutes. Stir in softened beans, 8 cups water, carrot, bay leaves, thyme and pepper. Add ham hocks. 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 hocks; set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove ham from bones and cut into cubes. Discard bones. Return ham to soup. Stir in cubed ham and salt; heat through.
