Heat olive oil in dutch oven pot over medium high heat. Add chopped onion, celery and carrots and cook until starting to slightly soften.
Add vegetable stock and ham bone. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to simmer for an hour.
Remove ham bone from pot and pick off ham; return meat to pot. Add the beans.
Add package of instant potatoes and stir thoroughly.
Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve and garnish with chopped parsley and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Video
Notes
The ham bone really adds a lot of flavor here. You can usually purchase a ham bone at a local butcher or sometimes you can get one at the meat counter of your grocery store. But if you can’t find a ham bone, just go with a small, smoked (unsliced ham). Cut ham into 1-inch chunks. Then simmer for only 30 minutes instead of an hour.
Also, if you can’t find navy beans, use great northern beans or cannelloni instead.