Yummy Soup

Yesterday I cooked an Easter ham for our supper. Today we had mountains of leftovers. This is the tasty soup I made with the ham bone. Enjoy!

Best of Bridge Bean Soup (from The Best of the Best and More)

1 lb. hot Italian sausage
2 smoked pork hocks or 2-3 C. cubed ham
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium onions, diced
3 celery stalks with leaves, chopped
5 carrots, peeled and diced
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 C. chopped fresh parsley or 2 tbsp. dried
3 - 14oz. cans kidney beans
14 oz. can tomato sauce
28 oz. can tomatoes, chopped
1 -2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Boil sausage to remove excess fat; cut into bite-sized pieces. Skin pork hocks and remove excess fat. Brown sausage and pork hocks in a large, heavy pot. Drain. Add all other ingredients and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 2-3 hours. Remove pork hocks and cut meat into bite sized pieces. Return meat to pot. Serve with crusty bread.