I made this soup. It is great. I recommend using navy beans. I also recommend a minor mod to it: Assuming you fried some bacon for the bacon fat, crumble the bacon and add it to the soup.

Exactly, Tom. Great minds with the same name think alike, I guess. I would add: don't leave out the bitters because they are the secret ingredient. Angostura bitters are expensive, but one little bottle is a lifetime supply (don't buy anything other than the smallest bottle). You won't regret the purchase because you will make this simple recipe over and over and over.