Sixteen-ounce jars hold 2 cups of this mix. It’s fun to layer the beans for visual appeal. Add a tag with instructions for making soup.

1. Combine beans and seal in separate jars.

2. To make soup, soak 2 cups of bean mix overnight in water. Drain and put in stockpot.

3. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 1 hour.

4. Remove bay leaf before serving.

• MAKES 11 CUPS FINISHED SOUP

• INGREDIENTS

• Soup Mix

• 1 pound dried black beans

• 1 pound dried red beans

• 1 pound dried kidney beans

• 1 pound dried navy beans

• 1 pound dried great

• northern beans

• 1 pound dried baby

• lima beans

• 1 pound dried large

• lima beans

• 1 pound dried pinto beans

• 1 pound dried green

• split peas

• 1 pound dried yellow

• split peas

• 1 pound dried black-eyed

• peas

• 1 pound dried green lentils

• 1 pound dried brown lentils

• Ready to Eat

• 2 cups bean mix water

• 1 smoked ham hock

• 29 ounces stewed tomato

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 bay leaf

• salt to taste

• pepper to taste

• ¼ cup fresh parsley

• 1 tablespoon red wine

• vinegar

• 6 cups water

Cheap and Healthy!

Any way you look at it, eating beans, whether dried or out of the can, is an inexpensive way to enjoy a meal—of course, opting for dried beans costs only pennies per serving, since a one-pound bag of dried beans, or about 2 cups, equals about 6 cups of cooked beans.