Senatorial Bean Soup

• 1 cup dried navy beans
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• Cooking spray
• 2 1/2 cups chopped leek
• 2 cups sliced carrot
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1 cup diced cooked ham
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 cups water
• 2 teaspoons chicken-flavored bouillon granules
• 1 teaspoon beef-flavored bouillon granules
• 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• 2 bay leaves

1. Sort and wash beans, and place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans, and bring to a boil. Cook the beans 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let beans stand 1 hour. Drain beans.
2. Melt margarine in pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add leek and next 4 ingredients (leek through garlic); saute 10 minutes. Add beans, 8 cups water, bouillon granules, sage, and bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer mixture 1 1/2 hours or until beans are very tender. Discard bay leaves.
3. Place half of soup in a blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed mixture into remaining soup in pan, and cook over medium-low heat 30 minutes.

beans, margarine, cooking spray, leek, carrot, celery, ham, garlic, water, chickenflavored bouillon granules, beefflavored bouillon granules, sage, bay leaves

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/senatorial-bean-soup-50178421 (may not work)