Hickory Ham And Navy Bean Soup

• 1 pound dried navy beans
• 32 ounces chicken broth I use Swanson with 33% less sodium
• 4 cups water
• 2 1/2 pounds smoked ham hocks or Hickory Ham Bone with meat
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley chopped fresh
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 1/2 cups sliced carrots thinly
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 3/4 cup mashed potato flakes I use butter flavored

1. Rinse and sort the navy beans. Place navy beans in a Dutch oven. Add 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 5 hours or until beans are softened.
2. Drain and rinse the navy beans, discarding the liquid. Return the navy beans to the Dutch oven and add the chicken broth, water, ham hocks, onion, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano, pepper nutmeg and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 11/2 hours or until beans are tender.
3. Next add the carrots, celery and potato flakes, mixing well. Cover and simmer for another 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
4. Take out the ham hocks and place on a cutting board until cool enough to handle. Remove meat and cut into bite-size pieces. Return the ham to Dutch oven and heat through. Enjoy!

beans, chicken broth, water, meat, onion, italian parsley, garlic, onion powder, basil, oregano, pepper, ground nutmeg, bay leaves, carrots, celery, butter

Taken from www.yummly.com/recipe/Hickory-Ham-and-Navy-Bean-Soup-1660374 (may not work)