U.S. Senate Bean Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb. dried Northern beans
1 meaty ham bone or 2 smoked ham hocks
3 medium chopped onions
3 minced garlic cloves
3 chopped celery stalks
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. mashed potatoes or 1/3 c. instant flakes
parsley or chives (for garnish, optional)

Preparation

Place beans
in
enough
water
to cover in a saucepan; bring to a
boil and boil for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and soak for 1
hour.
Drain
and rinse beans.
In a large kettle, place beans, ham
bone
or hocks and 3 quarts water.
Bring to boil.
Reduce heat;
cover and simmer for 2 hours.
Skim fat, if
necessary. Add onions, garlic, celery, parsley, potatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer 1 hour longer.
Remove meat and bones from the soup. Remove meat from the bones; dice and return to kettle.
Heat through.
Garnish
with
parsley
or
chives. Yield:
2 1/2 quarts or 8 to 10 servings.