NEW YEAR'S DAY 15 BEAN SOUP

New Year's Day 15 Bean Soup image

Number Of Ingredients 13

20 ounces 15 Bean Mix (any flavor - throw away the flavor packet)
2 quarts Water
1/2 pound Bacon, diced
1 pound Smoked Sausage, sliced
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 large onion, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt (to taste - better to undersalt at first)
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies (Ro-Tel)

Steps:

Place beans in a large kettle. Cover with water and soak overnight. OR - place kettle of beans on stove over high heat and bring to a rapid, rolling boil. Boil hard for two minutes. Turn off heat, cover kettle, and let stand 1 hour.
Drain beans and discard soaking water.
Add all remaining ingredients, except for the tomatoes. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 to 1.5 hours, or until beans are tender. Add both kinds of tomatoes, and simmer uncovered 30 minutes longer.
Serve with hot cornbread. Makes a huge batch!