Mixed Bean Soup With Vegetables

I love making this dish because it is tasty, filling and healthy. My bean soup is full of veggies and makes a large amount. Also, it is incredibly cheap to make. I take it to work every day for a week and so that I know I'm being healthy and avoiding tempting snacks. I get the beans in the gorcery's bulk aisle - it is a mix of pinto, kidney and white beans, as well as barley and split peas. This recipe makes a huge pot so you can look forward to leftovers.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 45 mins
• Serves: 20
• Yields: 1 big pot of soup

Ingredients

• 2 -3  cups  of mixed dry  beans
• 1  sweet onion
• 1 -2  lb carrot
• 1  whole celery
• 6 -10  mushrooms (the white kind you can get whole or sliced)
• 2 -3  potatoes
• 1⁄2 cup fresh Italian parsley
•  salt
•  pepper

Directions

1. Let the beans soak in water overnight or all day. Cook them in boiling water for an hour or two (until soft), then drain, rinse off, and set aside.
2. Put water in a big pot to boil (fill the pot about half way). Start chopping carrots and celery into bite-size pieces, and slice onion pretty thin. You can use the whole celery, even the leaves. Leave all of the stalks together and slice with a big knife - this is a timesaver.
3. Add veggies to boiling water. Chop parsley coarsely and add it to water. After about 15 minutes, slice the mushrooms and add to the mix. When the carrots and celery are almost soft, cut potatoes into 1 inch chunks and add to broth. Salt and peper to taste.
4. When veggies are almost done, add beans back into the broth.