Step 1

The night before: Pick through the beans and discard any broken pieces. Place beans in a large pot and cover with 3 inches of water. Cover and let sit overnight.

Step 2

Strain the beans through a large colander. Rinse and dry the soup pot and place on the stove over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and heat for 1 minute. Add diced onion, carrots and celery, and cook until softened; about 4-5 minutes. Add minced garlic, thyme and bay leaf and cook for another minute.

Step 3

Add beans, water and ham and bring to a boil. Stir in a ½ teaspoon of salt, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 1 to 1 ½ hours or until beans are very soft, stirring every 15 minutes or so to ensure that the soup doesn’t scorch on the bottom.

Step 4

Taste and add more salt and pepper as desired. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh cracked black pepper and fresh minced parsley.