Senate Navy Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry navy beans
• 3 quarts water
• 1 meaty ham bone
• 1/2 cup cooked, mashed potatoes
• 3 onions, minced
• 4 to 5 stalks celery, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup parsley, minced
• salt, pepper to taste

Instructions:

Soak beans overnight in water. Add ham bone and simmer 1 hour or until beans start to become tender. Add mashed potatoes and mix until smooth. Add onion, celery, garlic and parsley and simmer 1 hour longer or until beans are soft.

Remove ham bone, dice meat and return meat to soup. Thin with hot water, if neccessary. (Soup should be thick.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon slices, if desired. Serves 10 to 12.