Bean Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb. navy beans
2 qt. cold water
meaty ham bone
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. salt
black pepper
1 medium onion

Preparation

Soak beans overnight; do not drain.
Add beans, ham bone, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
Cover; simmer 3 to 3 1/2 hours, adding onion, thinly sliced the last half-hour.
Remove ham bone and peel meat from bone.
Mash beans slightly with back of spoon.
Return meat to soup.