Soak the navy beans in 3.5 cups of water overnight. Drain the water and rinse the beans in the morning. Place the beans in a big pot and cover them with water. Bring everything to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain the water and rinse the beans. Keep the beans in the strainer.
Place the beans back in the big pot. Add 2.5 cups of water, the vegetable mixture (onion, celery, carrot), 400 g meat (if using), and 2 bay leaves. Bring everything to a boil and cook until the beans, the meat, and the vegetables are tender (approximately 1 hour). Before you remove the beans from heat, add ½ cup crushed tomatoes. Salt and black pepper to taste.
Recipe by Orgali at https://orgali.ca/2015/01/tasty-tuesday-vegetable-rich-navy-bean-stew/