1/2 cup Great Northern beans
1/2 cup kidney beans
1/2 cup navy beans
1/2 cup baby lima beans
1/2 cup butter beans
1/2 cup split green or yellow peas
1/2 cup pinto beans
1/2 cup lentils
5 cups water
1 meaty ham bone or large ham hock
2 chicken bouillon cubes
28 ounces canned whole tomatoes with liquid -- quartered
1 can tomato paste - (6 oz)
1 large onion -- chopped
3 large celery ribs -- chopped
4 carrots -- peeled, bias sliced
2 garlic cloves -- minced
1/4 cup dried chives
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper or cayenne pepper
Sort and wash all beans thoroughly. Drain and place in a 4-quart kettle with 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil, boil 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let stand for at least 1 hour, preferably more.
Meanwhile, place ham bone and 3 quarts of water in an 8-quart soup kettle. Simmer until beans have cooled 1 hour.
Drain beans and add to the ham stock. Add remaining ingredients and simmer about 2 hours or until beans are tender. Add more hot water if needed to keep beans covered.
Remove bone, discard fat, skin and gristle; return chopped ham to pot. Ladle into warm soup bowls and serve.
This recipe yields about 5 1/2 quarts.