Red Bean Soup From Avery Island

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/2 pound dried red kidney beans
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 3 quarts water
• 1/2 pound cooked ground ham
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Hard-cooked eggs, sieved
• Lemon slices

1. Saute chopped onion, celery, and garlic in butter in a large Dutch oven until tender. Add next 6 ingredients to Dutch oven; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 3 hours.
2. Strain mixture through a sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon; discard excess pulp. Return soup to Dutch oven; stir in ham. Add salt and pepper, stirring well. Heat thoroughly. Remove and discard bay leaves.
3. Serve hot in individual bouillon cups. Garnish with sieved egg and a lemon slice.

onion, celery, garlic, butter, beans, bay leaves, thyme, worcestershire sauce, tabasco sauce, water, salt, pepper, eggs, lemon slices

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/red-bean-soup-from-avery-island (may not work)