Add entire can of stewed tomatoes and liquid, beans, broth, bay leaves and ground cumin to the onion mixture; (add hamhock : optional); stir well
64 oz. chicken or vegetable broth, 10 oz. can Stewed Tomatoes with Green Chiles (see recipe notes), 3 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 small ham hock
Allow to cook for 35-45 minutes covered; check occasionally for liquid level. If liquid level gets below the bean level, add water or broth to cover the beans by 3-4 inches; cover and continue to cook until beans are tender (Note: dried beans will take much longer to soften)
To add smoked beef sausage, cut it into bite-sized pieces and saute in a separate pan; (You can add the sausage to the whole soup, or add it to individual servings)
½ lb. smoked beef sausage
Once beans are tender, remove bay leaves; remove ham hock (if added); at this point, if you want a creamier version, transfer ¼ - ½ of the soup to a food processor, pulse a few times, then return the pulsed mixture to the stockpot.
Add salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with parsley, cilantro or scallions and serve
parsley, scallions or cilantro
Notes
About the beans: if you use dried beans, soak them first. Dried beans (soaked or unsoaked) will take much longer to cook than canned beans.How to Quick Soak BeansA quick soak is ideal when you forgot to soak navy or pintos overnight.
Place the beans and 8 cups of water in a large pot and bring it to a boil (uncovered) for 5 minutes
Turn off the heat and cover
Allow to stand for 1 hour, covered
Pour off the water, add in chicken/vegetable broth and resume the recipe
Canned beansIf you want to use canned instead of dried, you'll need about 6 cups of beans, drained and rinsed.Vegan version: use vegetable broth or water instead of chicken broth; omit ham hock and sausageStove Top Method Notes:After the beans have cooked for about 30 minutes, check the water/broth liquid. Chances are, you'll need to add additional liquid. Add enough to cover the beans by 3-4 inches.Slow Cooker Directions (Not recommended for canned beans)If you make navy bean soup in a crock pot or slow cooker, soak dried beans first, either overnight or the "quick soak" method.
Place beans and remaining ingredients into slow cooker and add plenty of water or broth (8-10 cups). The beans will absorb the liquid, so if you leave the slow cooker unattended you'll want to ensure there's plenty of water or broth.
Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.
Rotel tomatoes or Tomatoes with Green Chiles I used a 10 ounce can of Rotel tomatoes, however, if you can only find a 14 ounce can, you can use all of that. If you want the soup thinner, add 28 ounces of Rotel.If you can't find "Rotel" brand, substitute with any canned diced tomatoes with green chiles.If you can't find a canned mixture of tomatoes and green chiles, use 10 ounces of petite diced tomatoes and 4 ounces of diced green chiles.Want a creamier version?Once the beans are tender in the broth, transfer up to half of the soup mixture to a food processor. Pulse until semi-smooth, then return to stockpot.