Hearty Navy Bean Soup

By Addie

Ingredients

• 16 ounces dried navy beans
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds ham
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped potatoes
• 1⁄3 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup coarsely chopped carrot
• 2 tablespoons sliced green onion, optional

Preparation

Step 1

Sort and rinse navy beans.


Combine beans with enough water to cover by 2 inches in a stockpot.


Bring beans to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, for 1 hour; drain well.


Add chicken broth and 4 cups water to beans. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Chop the ham coarsely. Stir ham, chopped onion, potatoes, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper into beans. Add the chopped carrot and mix well.


Bring soup to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Ladle navy bean soup into soup bowls. Sprinkle with green onions, if desired. Serve with corn bread.
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Grandma's Secret:

When Grandma knew she would be making this soup the next day, she prepared the beans the night before. She would cover the beans with cold water, cover them and let them stand overnight. This way, she didn't have to boil them and wait for them to soften the next day.