1 lb ham hocks
1 lb dried mixed beans
4 qt vegetable stock
1 white onion
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
½ t garlic powder
¼ t black pepper
½ t paprika

Rinse or soak beans until water runs clear through them. The will slightly whiten.

Place beans and ham hocks in stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce to bare simmer and cook for 3 hours or until the beans are done.

Remove the ham hocks and allow to cool. Finely chop the meat from the hocks and return to the soup.

Finely chop the onions. Slice the carrots. Add to soup, along with the seasoning. Simmer until vegetables are soft.

Careful with the salt! The ham hocks bring a lot of salt to the party.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours

Drawn from http://www.senate.gov/reference/reference_item/bean_soup.htm and http://allrecipes.com/recipe/ham-and-bean-soup-ii