Ward's Feed a Crowd Bean Soup

Howdy Folks.  I always get a rave of praise with this one.


3 pounds pinto beans
1/2 pound Navy beans
1/2 pound great northern beans
1/2 pound small red beans

2 gallons water
6 (32 oz.) cartons chicken broth
4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
2 tsp salt
4 oz Bragg's Liquid Aminos.
2 large cans diced tomatoes
3 Celery stalks (chopped)
4 large onions (peeled, chopped)
4 fresh garlic cloves (peeled, chopped)
2 C. frozen whole kernel corn
2 tsp Liquid Smoke
2 bell peppers (chopped)
6 sweet banana peppers (chopped)
1/4 cup dry parsley flakes

Use a 17 quart or larger turkey roaster

Wash the beans and soak in water for at least 4 hours, overnight is better.  Drain and rinse.  To the beans add chicken broth, coarse ground black pepper and salt.  Bring the beans to a hard boil and then lower the temperature and simmer until the beans are about three-quarters done.  Add the following:  Bragg's Liquid Aminos, diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, celery, corn, Liquid Smoke, bell peppers, sweet banana peppers and parsley.  Continue cooking until beans are cooked all the way through, being careful no to overcook.

For a spicy flavor, add cayenne pepper, and or Habanera pepper sauce.  Caution - a little Habanera pepper sauce goes a long way.  When you cooking for a large group of people their tolerance for spicy foods vary, so cook accordingly.

If the soup is thicker than desired, add additional chicken broth.  Water added at the end of the cooking process will dilute flavor.  Adding chicken broth at the end is better.  If the soup is thinner than desired, follow the instructions below.

Into 3 cups of cold water, gradually stir in 2 cups of flour until smooth.  Add slowly to the soup while you continue to cook until the  is the consistency that you like.

Some turkey roasters heat from the sides only and do not have bottom heat.  If yours is the same, you may get boiling around the sides of the roaster, but, not in the center.  Frequent stirring is required for even cooking.  Experiment with the recipe and have fun.

God Bless, Ward and Mary.