Senate Bean Soup

This recipe is posted by request and was found on the net-no name is attached. I posted the Maximim cooking time

• Ready In: 4 hrs 15 mins
• Yields: 4 quarts

Ingredients

• 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

Directions

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.