A white bowl of white bean ... beans too mushy -- though you might want to sample one or two throughout the cooking process. A canned substitute from your pantry can work very well in almost any ...
Drain the soaked beans and discard the water. Place the beans, ham hocks, chicken broth, and bay leaf in a soup pot; do not add salt at this stage. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 1 hour ...