French Market Bean Soup

Total Time: 16 hrs Preparation Time: 12 hrs Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1/3 cup dried black beans
• 1/3 cup garbanzo beans
• 1/3 cup dried black-eyed peas
• 1/3 cup dried kidney beans
• 1/3 cup dried pinto bean
• 1/3 cup dried navy beans
• 1/3 cup dried lentils
• 1/3 cup split peas
• 1/3 cup lima beans
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 quart water
• 1 quart v-8 vegetable juice
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 6 stalks celery, with leaves,chopped
• 1 whole bell pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• tabasco sauce
• 1 lb smoked sausage (i prefer beef)
• 1/2 whole chicken

Recipe

• 1 wash and sort beans.
• 2 add water to cover beans and soak overnight with the 1 t salt.
• 3 drain the beans.
• 4 place in a large soup pot with 1 quart of water, bay leaves and thyme.
• 5 bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered for one to two hours.
• 6 add all other ingredients except chicken and sausage.
• 7 simmer one to one and a half hours uncovered.
• 8 add chicken and cut up sausage.
• 9 cover, and continue to cook until chicken is tender.
• 10 skin and debone chicken 10 minutes before serving.
• 11 add the reserved parsley.
• 12 serve hot with your favorite bread.
• 13 this freezes beautifully.