15 Bean Soup (crock pot)

I LOVE bean soup, especially bean soup that cooks in my house all day on a cold/rainy/wet day. This is a modified version of the instructions that come with Hurst’s 15 bean soup. You can make it on the stove or in a crock pot; below is for a crock pot but the hurstbeans.com website has alternate instructions.

• 1 package 15 Bean Soup (Hurst’s or store brand)- 8 cups water
• 4 teaspoons “better than bouillon”
• 1 ham bone (keep an old bone in your freezer)
• 1 pound smoked sausage or diced ham
• 1.5 onions diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• Juice from 1 lemon
• Optional: Hot sauce or crushed red pepper to taste

Rinse beans thoroughly, a couple time. Remove any unwanted debris. Drain and pour beans into crock pot, adding water, bouillon (dissolved in the water), onions, ham bone, garlic, and chili powder. Cook on high for 7 hours. Once beans are tender, remove ham bone (leaving any ham) and add sausage/additional ham, tomatoes, lemon juice, and flavor packet if provided (or whatever seasons you feel like). Turn heat to low and simmer an additional 30 minutes until ready to serve. Serves 12. Leftovers freeze well.