Navy Bean and Ham Hock Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried navy beans , rinsed and sorted
• 12 cups water , divided
• 2.5 pounds smoked ham hocks
• 1 carton low-sodium chicken broth , 32 ounce
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 0.25 cups chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 0.5 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 0.5 teaspoons dried oregano
• 0.25 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 3 bays leaves
• 2.5 cups thinly sliced carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 0.75 cups mashed potato flakes

Instructions

1. 1

   Place navy beans into a Dutch oven with 8 cups water; bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Cover and let stand until beans are softened, about 5 hours.

2. 2

   Drain beans and discard soaking liquid. Rinse beans and return to the Dutch oven. Add ham hocks, chicken broth, remaining 4 cups water, onion, parsley, garlic powder, basil, black pepper, oregano, nutmeg, and bay leaves. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

3. 3

   Stir carrots, celery, and potato flakes into soup until well combined. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes more.

4. 4

   Transfer ham hocks to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from the bones and cut into bite-sized pieces. Return meat to the pot and warm through over medium heat, about 3 minutes.