Dried Bean Soup

This is a very simple recipe to help use up the many pounds of dried beans I keep in my pantry. You don’t need much salt in the broth as the ham is usually salty enough.

2 cups mixed dried beans

2 quarts water

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 – 3/4 tsp salt

1 cup diced ham

36 ounces canned chopped tomatoes, undrained

1. Wash beans and pick out any gravel, shriveled or floating beans and debris. Rinse two or three more times to make sure they’re going to be as clean as possible.

2. Place the beans in a dutch oven or stock pot and cover with 2 quarts water, leaving to soak overnight. After soaking add in all ingredients except tomatoes and ham.

3. Cover and bring to a boil for about 15 minutes. Lower heat and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Add the tomatos and ham and let simmer another 30 minutes before serving.