Smoke Sausage and Navy Bean Soup

8 cups chicken broth

1 lb navy beans, rinsed

2 ham hocks (about 1 lb)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 onions, diced

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 beef smoked sausage cut into ½ in rounds

1.     Place broth in large saucepan.  Heat over medium-high heat until broth begins to boil.  Cover and reduce heat to low. 

2.     Place beans in slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients except broth and sausage.  Carefully pour in hot broth.  Cover; cook on high 8-9 hours or until beans are tender.

3.     Remove bay leaf.  Remove ham hocks and let stand until cook enough to handle.  Remove ham from hocks, chop and add back into slow cooker.  Stir in sausage.  Cover; cook 15-30 minutes longer or until sausage is heated.