Black Bean Soup

Recipe for Black Bean Soup, from A Taste of Georgia - I'm going to make this recipe this afternoon...

4 cups black beans
5 quarts cold water
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 large onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup butter
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
Rind and bone of cooked, smoked ham
3 leeks, thinly sliced
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
1 cup dry Maeira
2 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped
Lemon slices to garnish

Pick over and wash beans. Soak overnight in cold water to cover, then drain. Add 5 quarts cold water and cook the beans over low heat for 1 1/2 hours. In a soup kettle over low heat, saute the celery and onions in butter for about 8 minutes, or until tender. Blend in flour and parsley and cook this mixture, stirring for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the beans and their liquid. Add the smoked ham rind and bone, leeks, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Simmer the soup for 4 hours.

Remove and discard the ham bone, rind, and bay leaves. Force the beans through a sieve. Combine pureed beans and their broth and add Madeira. Heat the soup, remove from stove, and stir in the finely chopped eggs. Float a slice of lemon on each serving.

From The Coach and Six Restaurant, Atlanta, Georgia

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This is a really old cookbook that belongs to my mother. I want to see if I can find a used copy (of the original or A Taste of Georgia 20th Anniversary Edition) for myself. Mom's copy is falling apart and she keeps a large ribbon around it to keep the pages together. I think I'll probably modify this recipe a bit to suit what's available at my house. I don't think I have any Madeira on hand...