This is a great recipe for a cold day or for easy prep in a crock pot and makes for a lovely warm soup meal that everyone can enjoy! It can be served with sour cream, your favorite cheese, rice, chips or some warm bread.

Ingredients:

• 20 oz or 1 bag of dry mixed beans
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 medium carrots, diced
• 4 ribs celery, diced
• 2 cups corn kernels
• 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsps dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

Prepare the beans in either of these ways:

• Place rinsed beans in a large pot and pour in 8 cups of water. Let beans soak overnight or for about 8 hours. After soaking, drain the beans and use them as directed in the recipe.
• In a large pot, place rinsed beans in 10 cups of water. Bring to a rapid boil for 3-4 minutes. Then take off the heat, cover, and let sit for about an hour. 

Prepping the soup:

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat up olive oil on medium heat and add minced garlic and diced onions. Sauté until onions are translucent or slightly golden brown. Then add in diced carrots and celery, and stir continuously until they are golden brown. 
2. Pour in vegetable or chicken broth and stir. If using a crock pot, now would be the time to transfer the garlic, onion, carrot, and celery mixture, add the broth into the crock pot, and continue to add the ingredients there.
3. Add in beans and corn, and stir. 
4. Then add bay leaf, oregano, basil and salt.
5. Put on the lid, leaving a crack to let some air escape, and let the soup simmer for 1 to 1½ hours. Stir about every 20 minutes and add hot water if some has boiled off. The soup may need another half-hour or longer, depending on how quickly the beans and the vegetables cook. 
6. If you have an immersion blender, blend the soup until most of the beans and vegetables are blended, but not completely so that the soup is puréed. This step is not necessary if you don’t have an immersion blender or would prefer the soup to be more brothy.
7. Enjoy!