Ham and Bean Soup

Jennifer S. (I had several requests for this recipe, this is the first time in 17 years I have ever written it down. I hope you really enjoy it!)

Ingredients:
• 8 cups water
• 1 pound dried Great Northern beans or navy beans. OR 4 15-oz cans of Great Northern beans or navy beans, drained.
• Cooking liquid from bone in ham, and enough water to equal 8 cups. OR 4 cups chicken or beef stock and 4 cups water
• 2 cups ham, diced. From bone in ham, leftover ham. Or pre-cooked ham
• 1 large white onion, chopped (about same size pieces as beans)
• 1 Tbs garlic, minced (I use the jarred kind)
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 ½ cup carrot, chopped (also same size as beans)
• ¼ teaspoon garlic salt or salt to taste. Do NOT add salt until the end.
• 1 6-oz can tomato paste
• 1-2 Tbs sugar
Preparation:
This is if you are using DRIED beans~
Bring water and beans to a boil; cover and boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat, keep covered, and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans.
In large stock pot add beans and 8 cups of ham stock and water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until beans are tender, about 60-90 minutes. Add ham to soup with onion, garlic, pepper, carrot, and garlic salt; simmer for about 15-20 minutes longer, or until onions and carrots are tender. Stir in tomato paste and sugar. Check to see if more salt is needed. Simmer 5-10 minutes, until tomato paste is dissolved, and soup thickens slightly.

This is if you are using CANNED beans~
In large stock pot add drained, canned beans and 8 cups of stock and water, ham, onion, garlic, pepper, carrot, garlic salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until carrots and onion are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and sugar. Check to see if more salt is needed. Simmer 5-10 minutes, until tomato paste is dissolved, and soup thickens slightly.