Senate Bean Soup

• 1 lb dried navy beans or 1 lb great northern beans or 1 lb pea beans
• 1 large smoked ham hock
• 3 potatoes, cooked and mashed
• 2 onions, chopped well
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper

1. Wash and sort beans.
2. Place in a large pot with a lid and add 5 quarts of water.
3. Bring to a boil and boil hard for 2 minutes.
4. Cover, remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour.
5. Bring to a hard boil again, reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours, or until the beans begin to mush.
6. Add all the ingredients except salt and pepper and simmer for 1 hour longer.
7. Remove hock, cut up meat and return to the pot.
8. Discard bone.
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper, Serve.

beans, hock, potatoes, onions, celery, garlic, salt

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/senate-bean-soup-51460 (may not work)