Upstate Pennsylvania Recipe for Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried navy beans
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 medium potato, peeled and diced (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar