This is a light navy bean soup - more broth than usual.
3 cups dry navy beans, sorted and rinsed
1 can (16 ounces) tomatoes, undrained, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 meaty ham hock or 1 cup diced cooked ham
2 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Place beans in a large bowl with enough cold water to cover and let stand overnight. Drain and place in a large soup pot or Dutch oven, then add 3-1/2 cups water, the canned tomatoes, onion, ham, stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer, covered, for 90 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Take the ham hock out and transfer to a plate.
When the ham hock has cooled a bit, remove the meat from it and put the meat back into the pot. Bring the soup back up to a hot temperature and serve.
I like to add a squirt of Liquid Hickory Smoke and a couple dashes of Frank's Red Hot Sauce to it.
If using diced ham, the soup doesn't need to simmer for 90 minutes as the ham is already cooked.
If you want the stock thicker, puree some of the beans in a blender or with a food processor and mix the puree into the stock.
