Fassoulada (Greek Bean Soup)

Course :	Greek
From:	HungryMonster.com
Serves:	8

Ingredients:

1	pound	dried navy beans
2	medium	Onions -- chopped
2	medium	celery stalks with leaves chopped
2	medium	carrots -- scraped and diced
4	sprigs	fresh parsley -- chopped
1	cup	chopped -- drained tomatoes
1	piece	bay leaf
2	sprigs	fresh mint or thyme
1	teaspoon	salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3	cup	olive oil

Preparation:

Wash beans and soak overnight in cold water. The next day, in a soup kettle, bring the beans to a boil in the soaking water. Skim off the foam, then add the remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer gently until the beans are tender, about 3 hours. Serve hot. Note: Less frequently, the soup is pureed through a sieve. Also, you may add the herbs during the last hour or so of cooking, if you wish.