Bond’s Three Bean Soup

I was in the mood for bean soup after Christmas and came up with this recipe that is great for a cold day.

1 Cup Dried Pinto Beans

½ Cup Dried Lima Beans

½ Cup Dried Split Peas

6 Strips Slab Bacon

1 Onion

3 Cloves Garlic

¼ t Curry

1 T Chili Powder

1 t Salt

1 t Crushed Bay Leaf

1 t Oregano

½ t Rosemary

½ t Marjoram

½ t Thyme

½ t Basil

½ t Pepper

2 Cups Chopped Celery

1 10 oz Can Rotel Diced Tomatoes

2 14 oz Cans Chicken Broth

5 Cups Water

8 oz Pkg Fresh Mushrooms

3 T Chopped Fresh Parsley

Measure out and sort through the pinto beans, lima beans and split peas discarding any bad beans, rocks or dirt. Wash the beans, cover them in a Dutch oven and let them soak overnight. The next day, pour the water off of the beans, rinse again and set them aside.

In a small bowl combine all of the dry spices and mix them together. Set aside.

Cut up the bacon into small bite size pieces, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Put all three ingredients into the Dutch oven and brown over medium heat until the bacon is just slightly brown on the edges. Chop the two cups of celery and add it to the pot. Add the can of diced tomatoes (with liquid), 2 cans of chicken broth, 5 cups of water and the beans. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about an hour until the beans are tender. Add the mushrooms and parsley. Simmer another 30 minutes until the mushrooms are done. Serve with cornbread and crusty sour dough bread.