Mrs. Potter'S 5-Star Bean Soup

• 1 lb dry white bean
• 1 (3 -4 lb) shank end ham
• 1 medium cabbage, shredded
• 8 carrots, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomatoes
• sausage links (optional)
• 1 cup elbow macaroni
• salt and pepper

1. Cover beans with 6 cups boiling water, let stand overnight. Or bring to a boil and let sit for 1 hour before using.
2. Trim some fat from ham, melt in large kettle. Add veggies and saute 20 minutes, remove and set aside.
3. Pour beans and liquid into kettle, add ham and additional 5 cups boiling water. Cover, simmer 2-3 hours.
4. Remove ham, dice lean meat and stir into beans, along with sauteed veggies, tomatoes and sliced sausages.
5. Add macaroni, simmer until done.
6. Cooking Tip: IF USING HAM HOCKS, 2 smoked ham shanks makes it too salty, use only one.
7. Cooking Tip: Salting the COOKING water makes the beans mealy, but salting the SOAKING water makes the skins more tender but also less likely to break.

white bean, ham, cabbage, carrots, onion, celery, tomatoes, sausage, elbow macaroni, salt

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/mrs-potters-5-star-bean-soup-405697 (may not work)