Senate Bean Soup

• 1 lb dry navy beans
• 1 meaty ham bone
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2/3 cup mashed potato flakes or 1 1/2 cups mashed potatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 bay leaf
• salt, to taste

1. Wash and sort beans; in large kettle, cover beans with 6-8 c hot water.
2. Bring to a boil; boil 2 minutes; remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.
3. Add another 2 quarts of cold water and ham bone.
4. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 1 1/2 hours.
5. Stir in remaining ingredients; simmer 20-30 minutes until beans are tender.
6. Remove ham bone, trim off meat and return meat to soup; remove bay leaf.
7. Serve hot; freezes well.

beans, ham bone, onion, garlic, celery, potato flakes, parsley, pepper, ground nutmeg, oregano, basil, bay leaf, salt

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/senate-bean-soup-26040 (may not work)