Bean soups and "Red Beans & Rice" are healthy  favorites at our house.  I even make "Adzuki Beans & Rice"...not sure what the Mississippi side of the family thinks of that version...    Lately, I've been eyeing the 17 Bean & Barley Mix at Trader Joe's and looking forward to creating a colorful bean soup.   The base of this soup recipe is mirepoix, a fancy word for the combination of celery, onions, and carrots.  It's such a common and wonderful combination for so many sauces, stews, and soups that the French gave it its own name.  My Southern relatives call it "the holy trinity."     Trader Joe's sells mirepoix ready-to-go or you can easily chop up your own.

A lot of people ask "When I cook with beans, do I have to soak them?"  Well, yes and no.  Not all beans need to be soaked.  For example, lentils, split peas and adzuki beans don't.  Most beans do usually need to be soaked since it decreases cooking time, and allows larger ones to cook evenly.  Soaking also removed the indigestible sugars on the coating of the bean, called oligosaccharides, and this helps reduce the toot factor (the gassiness) associated with eating beans.   Another thing to keep in mind is that beans are not washed before they are packaged, so soaking and rinsing them also gets them clean.   If you decide not to soak them, then just rinse them beforehand and factor in a little extra (~ 30 minutes) cooking time.  For me, soaking is not a big deal.  That morning, I just take the pot I'm planning to cook the beans in, fill it with water and toss in the beans.  Later that day, I drain and rinse the beans and I'm ready to cook.



The other thing I've been toying with is a bouquet garni, which is essentially a small bundle of herbs tied in a little cheesecloth sack.    Think of it as a tea bag filled with herbs.   It's great for flavoring a stock or a soup...basically anything that simmers.   You toss it in, simmer for a while, and remove it when you're done.   TJ's doesn't carry these, but they're not hard to find.  The one I used is from The Spice Hunter and has celery seed, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, and marjoram.  I took one of the bundles and set it out on the counter before I was ready to use it.  The perfume-y herbal aroma was pretty intoxicating.  You can also make your own by bundling up a some favorite herbs in a little piece of cheesecloth and tying with a string.  Do you have one of those stainless steel tea infusers balls or spoons? You can even use those.

Bountiful Bean Soup

1 (1 lb) bag 17 Bean & Barley Mix (about 2 1/2 cups of beans)
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 container Mirepoix (or use 1 cup chopped onion, 1 cup chopped carrots, and 1 cup chopped celery)
2 cartons FreeRange Chicken Broth
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (Fire-roasted variety is good too, or use 1/2 can diced tomatoes & green chilies for more heat)
1/2 tsp thyme
1 package (about 5 links) Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Sausage (another flavor is just fine!)
1 bouquet garni (optional)

1. Soak the beans for 4 hours, up to overnight.  (This is not necessary, but recommended.)  Rinse and drain beans.
2. Saute the mirepoix in 1 Tbsp olive oil until onions are soft.
3.  Add the broth, beans, mirepoix, tomatoes, and thyme to a large pot.
4. Bring to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes.  Skim the top if necessary.
5. Slice the sausage into 1/2 inch pieces and saute in 1 Tbsp olive oil over high heat.  Saute for 1-2 minutes until pieces are slightly browned.
6. Add the sausage and the bouquet garni to the pot and simmer for an additional 20 minutes. 
7. Find and discard the bouquet garni before serving.  Don't let it sit in the pot after cooking.