Southern Style Bean Soup 101107

Southern Style Bean Soup

Take the ham off the bone; trim the fat to some extent
About 4 cups of dried navy beans - no need to soak
1 large 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes with liquid
Celery, a couple of stalks, chopped into small pieces
1 large onion, chopped
4 large carrots, chopped into small pieces
One small can of maple flavoured baked beans
One can each of Campbell's Tomato soup, Campbell's Bean with Bacon soup, and Campbell's Chicken Broth
One medium sized bay leaf and
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Put all the ingredients into a big stock pot or any large soup pot and cover all with water (you can always add water as needed). Bring to boil then cover and simmer for a few hours until all the beans are tender, stirring occasionally.

2. Remove the ham off the bone and cut into bite sized pieces and add to the pot.

3. Squish some of the beans (about a cupful) with a wooden spoon against the side of the pot and stir well. This will thicken the soup a bit. Simmer for about 15 minutes then serve hot.