Name: Senate Navy Bean Soup
Ingredients: 2 cup dry navy beans (or great white beans); 12 cup water; 1 meaty ham bone or 2 to 3 ham hocks; 1/2 cup cooked mashed potatoes (instant are okay); 3 onions, minced; 4 to 5 stalks celery, minced; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1/4 cup fresh minced parsley (or 1/8 cup dried); Hot water; Salt; Freshly ground pepper; Lemon slices for garnish

Senate Navy Bean Soup

Ingredients

2 cups dry navy beans (or great white beans)
12 cups water
1 meaty ham bone or 2 to 3 ham hocks
1/2 cup cooked mashed potatoes (instant are okay)
3 onions, minced
4 to 5 stalks celery, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley (or 1/8 cup dried)
Hot water
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Lemon slices for garnish

Instructions

Soak beans overnight in water. Add ham bone and simmer until beans start to become tender, about 1 hour. Mix in mashed potatoes until smooth. Add onions, celery, garlic and parsley and simmer until beans are soft, about 1 hour. Remove ham bone, dice meat, and return meat to soup. Thin with hot water, if necessary, but soup should be thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon slices. Makes 10 to 12 servings.