1pounddried Great Northern beans(pre-soaked, see notes)
3cupschicken broth
2cupswater
1smoked ham hock(or 1 cup of diced ham)
3carrotspeeled and sliced thinly or chopped
3stalkscelerysliced or chopped
1largeonionchopped
4clovesgarlicminced
2bay leaves
1teaspoondried oregano
optional
½cup parsley
Instructions
Rinse your presoaked beans in clean water, and drain in a colander.
Add all ingredients to the slow cooker: great northern beans, broth, water, ham hock or ham, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and oregano.
Cook on high heat for 4-6 hours, then on low heat for 2 hours. Remove bay leaves.
For a creamier bean soup, mash about 1/2 of the beans with a potato masher. Garnish with parsley, and serve with cornbread or biscuits.
Notes
Pre-soak beans: add 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar when soaking your beans.
Hot Soak: Hot soaking helps reduce intestinal gas. For each pound of dry beans, add 10 cups of hot water; heat to boiling and let boil 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside for up to 4 hours.
Quick Soak: For each pound of dry beans, add 10 cups of hot water; heat to boiling and let boil 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside for at least one hour.
Overnight Soak: For each pound (2 cups) of dry beans, add 10 cups of cold water and let soak overnight, or at least 8 hours.
Pre-soak instructions and recommendations are from the USDA website.