17 Bean & Barley Soup

2 cups Trader Joe's 17 Bean Mix
2 ea. 32 oz. Trader Joe's Vegetable Broth
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped
1 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp. tried basil
1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1 can Trader Joe's Canned Tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Soak beans overnight in a large pot of water, then rinse & drain.

2. Pour 4 cups of Vegetable broth into the pot with the beans.

3. In a separate pan, cook onion, celery, carrot, pepper, basil and garlic in olive oil until soft.

4. Combine this mixture and remaining ingredients into the bean pot and cover with more broth. Simmer covered for about 1 hour to desired tenderness.

5. Be sure to occasionally check liquid level and add more broth if necessary.

6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 8 hearty servings.

Source: the back of the package of Trader Joe's 17 Bean & Barley Soup.

NOTES:

1. The beans may also be "quick soaked": In a large saucepan, cover dried beans with triple their volume of cold water. Bring water to a boil, then lower heat and cook uncovered beans over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and soak beans for one hour.

2. The original recipe called for Trader Joe's products. However, this is hardly necessary. But I did have great success using a 20 oz. package of a 15-bean mix that made the trip with us from Arkansas.

3. Plain kefir (aka drinkable yogurt) works really, really well with this soup, making for a pleasantly mild sour taste. Plain yogurt should work just as well as would no doubt sour cream.