Ham Bean Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) bag 15 bean soup mix, seasoning packet discarded
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
fresh ground black pepper
1 medium ham bone
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cups cooked ham, cubed

Preparation

Put the beans in a big pot, cover with lots of cold water, and soak over night.
The next day, pour the water off, and cover the beans with fresh cold water.
Add the dried onion, garlic powder, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Back the heat off and simmer for 1 to 2 hours.
Add the ham bone to the pot, and simmer for another 1 to 2 hours.
Add the can of tomatoes including their juice, and the ham pieces. Simmer for another 30 minutes.
At this point you may want to mash the beans with a potato masher if it needs to be thickened some.