McGuire's Senate Bean Soup

After I ate this soup last summer at McGuire's Irish Pub in Pensacola, I searched everywhere for the recipe with no luck.  Funny thing is the recipe was sitting practically under my nose.  The other day I was flipping through an old stack of magazines, giving them one final look before tossing them and there it was in a nearly 2 year old Taste of the South magazine. 

Now this is probably the cheapest recipes I have made in a long time, even at the restaurant a bowl only costs 18 cents.  This recipe may have cost me five dollars at the most and it is a really good bowl of soup.

McGuire's Senate Bean Soup

from Taste of the South June/July 2009

1 lb dried navy beans

4 pints water

1 bay leaf

3 whole cloves

1 large ham bone, preferably with bits of meat left on it

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 stalks of celery, including leaves, roughly chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

1 & 1/2 tsp salt
16 turns freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the beans and place in a large bowl.  Add the water and let the beans soak overnight, covered.  When ready to start cooking, drain the beans and place in a large pot with the ham bone.  Add cold water to cover, plus an additional two inches.  Bring to a boil.  Meanwhile make a cheese cloth pouch containing the bay leaf and cloves.  When the water is boiling add the pouch, onion, celery, carrots, salt, and pepper.  Reduce the heat to a simmer.  Cook stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and the meat is falling off the bone, about 3 hours.  Remove the pouch and the bone.  Shred the meat and add it back to the soup before serving.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.