Be Prepared Five-Bean Soup Mix

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups dried pinto beans
• 1 1/2 cups white kidney beans
• 1 cup dry kidney beans
• 1 cup dry lima beans
• 1 cup dry garbanzo beans
• 1/2 cup dried minced onion
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
• 3 cubes beef bouillon
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1/4 cup bacon bits
• 1/4 cup mixed vegetable flakes
• 4 quarts water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (optional)
• 4 (14.5 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes

Directions

Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.

1. Sort the dried pinto, white kidney, dark kidney, lima and garbanzo beans, rinse them well, cover with plenty of water and soak them overnight in the refrigerator. Drain and rinse before cooking.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add the drained beans and boil hard for 10 minutes to fully cook the kidney beans. Drain and rinse again.

3. Return the beans to the pot and cover with fresh water. Add the canned whole peeled tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon, and bring back to a boil.

4. Stir in the dried minced onion, paprika, salt, mustard powder, granulated garlic, chicken bouillon powder, crumbled beef bouillon cubes, dried parsley, bacon bits, mixed vegetable flakes and the vegetable oil if using (optional).

5. Reduce the heat to low, partly cover, and simmer gently for about 140 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes and adding water if the soup gets too thick, until the beans are tender.

6. Taste and adjust the salt, then serve the soup hot in bowls.