9-Bean Soup

This is a great winter soup recipe. Once the dry beans are combined, you will have several extras bags ready for the next soup night. Serve with warm cornbread.

Step 1 - Prepare bean mixture.

1 pound Black Beans
1 pound Red Kidney Beans
1 pound Barley Pearls
1 pound Pinto Beans
1 pound Great Northern Beans
1 pound Navy Beans
1 pound Lentils
1 pound Yellow Split Peas
1 pound Green Split Peas
1 pound Black-Eyed Peas

Combine all varieties of beans and divide into Ziploc baggies of 2 1/2 cups each.

Step 2 - Prepare the Soup

1 package (2-1/2 cups) Nine Bean Soup Mix
1 pound Smoked Ham, diced
1 large Onion, chopped
1 Carrot, grated
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 28 oz can Diced Tomatoes include the juice
1 4 oz can Diced Green Chilies
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Chopped Cilantro, if desired.

Wash and sort beans, discarding any damaged beans. Place in a Dutch oven or large soup pot and cover with water 2 inches above beans. Let soak overnight.

Drain beans and rinse well. Cover with water, and add the other ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 2 hours until the beans are done. Stir occasionally and add a little bit of water as needed. Add salt and pepper to taste and a sprinkle of cilantro if desired.