Ham & Bean Soup with Leeks

This turned out so good I had to write down the recipe for future reference. For 1 1/2 hours I simmered a ham bone from Easter with the green parts of leeks I'd used to make Mireille Guiliano's detoxifying leek soup (French Women Don't Get Fat). I soaked 1 1/2 C of Great Northern white beans in warm water for half an hour, threw out the water and threw the beans in with the ham stock. Added 1 tsp of powdered thyme and simmered the lot another 45 minutes. Let the soup stand overnight then today reheated and simmered for 10 minutes until some of the beans broke down. The leeks by this time were also broken down. The soup was thick, reminiscent of pea soup but the skin on the beans was a treat to chew on. Before serving I took out the ham bone, shredded the meat from the bone and threw those into the soup. Topped with freshly snipped chives from the garden, this was perfect with chunks of home-made white whole wheat bread.