Basic Ham and Bean Soup

Recipe from Tom

Ingredients

1 pound dry great Northern beans
8 cups water and stock, or both to cover
24oz canned tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ham hock or ham bone
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 stalk celery, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon mustard powder
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme
2 cups chopped ham
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

Method

Rinse the beans, sorting out any broken or discolored ones. 
In a large pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil. 
Add the salt and the beans and remove from heat. Let beans 
sit in the hot water for at least 60 minutes.

After the 60 minutes of soaking, return the pot to high heat
and place the ham bone, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, 
mustard and bay leaves in the pot. Stir well, bring to a boil, 
reduce heat to low and simmer for 60 more minutes or until
beans are soft.

Remove ham bone and discard. Stir in the chopped ham, and tomato
and simmer for 30 more minutes. Season with ground white pepper
to taste.