Very Good Bean Soup

3 cups dry white beans, soaked in water to cover, overnight

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 carrot, ¼-inch dice
1 celery stalk, ¼-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ½ teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
2 teaspoons Italian parsley, minced
2 tablespoons basil, minced
4 cans chicken broth, low sodium
1 cup water + 1 cup water
1  smoked ham hock
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
Black pepper
¼ to 1/3 cup lemon juice, to taste

Minced Italian parsley for garnish

1. Drain and rinse the beans. Reserve.

2. In a heavy bottomed Dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook over low heat until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the thyme, parsley, basil,  broth, 1 cup water, beans and ham hock to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, just barely bubbling, for 1 hour. Skim off the foam frequently. Stir occasionally.

4. After 1 hour add the second cup of water. Bring back to barely boiling. Test beans for doneness. Remove ham hock from pot and cut off meat into small pieces, returning it to the pot. Continue cooking until beans are soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar to pot.

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add lemon juice, if using. Eat immediately, freeze in containers, or refrigerate, covered, up to 1 week. When reheating refrigerated or frozen soup, you may need to add up to 1/3 cup of  broth per portion