Basic Bean Soup

-----VEGETABLE STOCK----- 1 sm Onion -- chopped

1 sm Carrot -- chopped

1 Celery stalk -- chopped

1 Bay leaf

pn Pepper pn Salt pn Thyme 1 1/2 c Vegetable peels, leaves or

-stems (celery, parsley, -broccoli, etc.) -----SOUPS----- 1/4 c Onions -- chopped

1/4 c Carrots -- chopped

1/4 c Celery -- chopped

1 tb Olive oil

2 c Beans -- cooked

3 c Vegetable stock recipe

1/2 ts Fennel -- crushed

1/2 ts Basil

1/2 ts Oregano

1 Bay leaf

1 tb Prepared mustard

1 tb Tomato paste

1/2 ts Garlic powder

pn Salt and pepper

To make vegetable stock: Bring all ingredients to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and reserve liquid. To make soup: Sasute onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil until browned. Add one cup beans and one cup stock to sauteed vegetables. Puree remaining beans and stock toether. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Per serving: 170 cal; 9 g prot; 221 mg sod; 30 g carb; 4 g fat; 0 mg chol; 104 mg cal Hint: Pinto, black, navy or other hearty beans may be used. Bouillon, bean cooking liquid or a combination may be used for vegetable stock. From DEEANNE's recipe files