Ingredients
- Soak:
- 1 lb. dry navy beans, sorted and rinsed
- 12 cups water, divided
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- Melt:
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 cups diced onion
- 1/2 cup EACH diced carrot and celery
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- Add:
- 1 1/2 lb. smoked ham hock
- 1 dried bay leaf
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes
Details
Preparation
Step 1
Soak beans in 6 cups water in a large pot, covered, refrigerated overnight or at least 8 hours.
Add baking soda to pot. Bring beans to a boil and simmer 10 minutes; skim off and discard any foam. Drain and rinse beans; transfer to a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker. Stir in 6 cups water.
Melt butter in sauté pan over medium –high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Transfer mixture to the slow cooker.
Add ham hock and bay leaf to slow cooker. Cover and cook beans until tender on high setting, 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours or on low setting 4 ½ to 5 ½ hours.
Remove ham hock. Pull meat off the bone; discard any fat. Cut meat into bite-sized chunks.
Return ham to slow cooker; season with salt and pepper. Stir in potato flakes; cover slow cooker and cook soup until slightly thickened, 30 minutes more.
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