2 c. dried Great Northern beans
4 c. canned chicken broth
1/4 lb. piece prosciutto, cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 lg. onions, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 sticks (1 c.) unsalted butter
1 tbsp. dried thyme, crumbled
1 c. red wine vinegar
1 c. dry sherry
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp. fresh ground pepper
2 c. whipping cream

Soak beans overnight, covered by 3 inches of water. Boil beans in 6 cups lightly salted water, reduce heat to simmer 45 minutes. Drain, reserve. In large saucepan add chicken stock, prosciutto fat trimmed, 2 tablespoons onions, 1 tablespoon celery and bring to boil and simmer 1 hour. Reserve stock only.

In large kettle, cook remaining onions and celery in 1 stick of butter until vegetables are soft. Add prosciutto, thyme and cook 2 minutes. Add red wine vinegar and cook 2 more minutes. Add reserved stock, beans, sherry, bay leaves, pepper, cream and 1 stick of butter. Cook over low-medium heat, 15 minutes or until beans are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Optional Garnish: Two large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped and sauteed in 2 tablespoons olive oil for 1 minute. Two cups escarole, washed, spun dry, chopped. Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle/garnish escarole and sauteed tomatoes.