After testing broth, season with salt and pepper. Season the vegetables with salt and ground black pepper to taste, and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until they start to soften. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until beans are nearly soft. Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the skillet. In a large stockpot, add water, ham bone, and pre-soaked beans. Wipe out the skillet and return it to medium heat. Add in brown sugar, liquid smoke and lemon juice. Add half to two-thirds of the ham to the beans and reserve the rest for garnish. Continue to simmer until vegetables are tender. When the oil is hot add in the carrots and onions. Add in canned tomatoes, carrots, celery, diced ham and thyme. You can find ham hocks at the deli counter, or prepacked in the gourmet chilled section of the supermarket. Add olive oil to a 5-quart soup pot and set over medium-high heat.Cover loosely and simmer for about 2 hours, or until beans are tender. ( if you have a smoked ham slice with the bone in.cut around the bone and drop that into the soup with the ham hock, then remove when beans are done) Bring to boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Add beans, chicken stock, water, bay leaves, and ham hocks. Add garlic and cook for a minute or so longer. At the end of cooking, remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves and discard.

Take out bones and dice up any meat on bones and put back into pot - You. Simmer for at least 3 hours or until beans are soft. Drain, put beans back in pot, add water and the rest of ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Put rinsed beans in pan and cover up to 2 inches past beans in large pot - let sit overnight. In 6 quart dutch oven or similar sized stock pot sprayed with cooking spray, on med heat, cook onion until softened ( about 5 minutes). Stir in the diced ham, potatoes, beans, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves.

Recipe for ham and bean soup