Ham & Bean Soup

Place rinsed beans into a large stock pot. Add water & chicken broth and bring to a boil. (I like to use more chicken broth if I have a lot of ham left-over and sometimes another half bag of beans.) Boil gently for 2 minutes; remove from heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour. Add ham bone, cubed ham, onion, pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until beans are soft. (May be less time if you soak the beans overnight). Occasionally skim the top of the soup while it is cooking. Add carrots and celery, cook until tender. Once the soup is done, remove about 1 1/2 cups and puree with a hand blender (or simply mash). Add back to the soup for a really nice consistency. Remove ham bone, scrape any meat from the bone (discard the bone and fat) and place meat back into soup and serve.