Navy Bean Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (16 oz.) bag dried small white navy beans
8 c. hot water
2 c. chopped ham or ham bone
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
3 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 large can whole tomatoes

Preparation

Add beans and hot water. Bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Add additional water during cooking if necessary. Remove 1/4 cup of beans. Mash and stir half into soup to increase consistency.