To make the soup mix, combine the beans and place in a bag or jar. Combine spices and place in separate small bag.
Note: substitute beans freely: use anasazi beans, pink beans, red beans, etc. There should be approximately one pound of beans in all.
Directions for gift recipe card to attach to the jar:
To make Calico Bean Soup:
One package beans, one packet of spices, hambone, ham hock or 1/2 pound of ham, 2 quarts of water, 1 large onion, chopped, 1-28 ounce can of tomatoes or 2 (14-1/2 ounces) cans, juice of one lemon and salt to taste.
If desired, omit ham and substitute beef, chicken or vegetable stock for the cooking water. Wash beans thoroughly. Place in a large kettle, cover with water and soak overnight. (An alternative method is to bring beans and water to a boil, remove from heat, cover and let stand for one hour).
Next, drain beans and add two quarts of new water and ham or ham hock (or use broth if omitting ham). Simmer slowly for 2-1/2 to 3 hours.
Add spice packet, onion, tomatoes (undrained), lemon juice and salt to taste (spice packet contains no salt). Simmer another 30 minutes or until beans are tender.
Take ham from soup. Remove any bits of ham from bone and return to soup. If using boneless ham, cut into bite-size pieces and return to soup.
Ingredients for Soup Packet::
Ingredients for Spice Packet:
