Mega-Easy Bean Soup.

This is the best bean soup I've ever had. I typically use black beans, great northern beans, and kidney beans but you can use pretty much any bean besides garbanzo -they make it a little too mealy for my taste. My best friend and I came up with this recipe in New Orleans when we were broke and all we had was a bunch of beans in the cabinet. You can also add tomatoes and jalapeno peppers or red pepper flake if you like things spicy. The key is LOTS of olive oil and LOTS of basil!

• Ready In: 3 hrs 15 mins
• Serves: 4-6
• Yields: 1 pot of soup

Ingredients

• 1  cup olive oil (seriously)
• 1  large green pepper
• 5  garlic cloves
• 6  tablespoons dried basil (seriously)
• 1  large onion
• 4  celery ribs
• 2  bay leaves
• 32  ounces chicken broth or  vegetable broth
• 5 (15 ounce) cans  of different  beans
•  salt
•  pepper (red pepper flake or jalapeno as alternate for some heat)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in soup pot and saute' all ingredients except last three until transparent. Add everything else and simmer until creamy, approximately 3hours. Add water or broth as needed for the consistency you like. Time saver: to help creaminess along mash beans against the side of the pot with a big spoon.