1 lb. black beans
1 ham hock, smoked
1 stalk celery, diced
1 leek, diced
1 sm. onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 carrot, diced
1 gallon water
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

Soak beans overnight in cold water. Drain beans the next day, then proceed. Place all ingredients together in soup pot. Bring soup to a boil, then turn to simmer. Cook until meat easily pulls off bone. Approximately 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours.

Beans should be very soft. Remove ham hock from soup. Remove meat from the ham bone and cut into bite size pieces. The remainder of the soup should then be pureed in the blender until smooth. Add ham pieces to puree and serve.

Garnish with sour cream and chopped onion if desired. Makes 1 gallon of soup