astray recipes: Hillbilly many bean soup

Categories: Soup/stew; Beans; Vegetable; Potato
Yield: 4 servings

Measure	Ingredient
	---- BEAN MIX ------
	Go to the supermarket with
	A bulk section or natural
	Foods co-op. Buy equal
	Quantities of every dried
	Bean you see: lentils, split
	Peas,calico, aduki, orange
	Lentils, any and all! When
	You get home, mix all the
	Beans fearlessly. Ten
	Varieties is the min, 16 -
	20 is not uncommon. ---- HERB MIX --------
½ cup	DRIED PARSLEY
¼ cup	+ 2 T dried summer savory
¼ cup	Cumin seeds
2 tablespoons	Ea. fennel seeds, caraway
	Seeds, dill seeds, cracked
	Coriander seeds, sweet basil
	And dried chervil
1 tablespoon	Ea. celery seeds, dried
	Thyme (lemon thyme, if
	Available), lavender, sweet
	Marjoram
½ teaspoon	To 1 t cayenne pepper mix it all and store -- --------- SOUP ----------
2 cups	Bean Mix, washed
7 cups	Any well-flavored vegetable or chicken stock, or water if using soup bone
1	Soup bone, such as a bone from smoked ham, cured pork shoulder, or ham hock
1	Bay leaf
1	Fresh or dried chili
2 tablespoons	Herb Mix
1 large	Onion
2 larges	Cloves garlic, pressed or more if you like
	Salt and plenty of fresh ground black pepper
1 can	Whold tomatoes with their juice, coarsely pereed in a food processor
1 medium	Carrot, scrubbed or peeled and sliced
1	Rib celery with leaves, sliced
2 mediums	Potatoes, scrubbed and finely diced
4 ounces	Fresh green beans, trimmed and sliced
2 teaspoons	Pickapeppa or Worcestershire
1 dash	Honey
	Minced fresh parsley or other green herb, for garnish

1. In a large heavy soup pot, soak the beans in stock or water to cover overnight. (If using chicken stock, refrigerate) 2. The next day add enough of the remaining stock or water to cover the beans by 1 or 2 inches. Add the soup bone if using, the bay leaf, and chili. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to very low and let simmer, covered, until the beans are tender, 1 to 3 hours depending on the type of bean.

3. Add the remaining ingredinets except the parsley. Simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

4. If using the suup bone, take it out, bick off any meat that clings to the bone, and return it to the soup. Take out the bay leaf and chili. mash a couple cups of beans against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon to thicken the soup slightly. Serve hot, garnished with the parsley. This suop is even better the next day.

From: The Dairy Hollow House / Soup & Bread, page 191 Submitted By BRENT WILLIAMS On 11-21-94

hillbilly many bean soup