Five-Bean Soup Mix - A Homemade Bean Soup Mix

To be honest, this is our least favorite bean soup that I've shared. I guess we just are not vegetarian bean soup folks. It is a rather "beany" and my family prefers some meat - or at least the barley in the Southwestern Soup.

But with a hunk of cornbread, they will still eat it - and maybe you like bean soups more than my tribe. So even though I won't call it a family favorite, I'm sharing it anyway. Besides, this soup is the prettiest in the jar with all those different kinds of beans. Too bad my family just prefers their great northern beans.

You can use any combination of beans that you have on hand. You can even substitute lentils or split peas if you prefer. And if you don't have five kind of beans, as long as you have the same total amount of beans, you can have a two-bean or three-bean soup.

Five-Bean Soup Mix

1 T tomato powder
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp bouillon
1 tsp parsley
1/3 cup great northern beans
1/3 cup kidney beans
1/3 cup black beans
1/3 cup navy beans
1/3 cup pinto beans
1 T dried onion
1 T dried celery
1 T dried carrot
8 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

Layer seasonings, beans, and vegetables in the order listed in jar or plastic bag.

To make soup, dump soup mix ingredients into large pot and add 8 cups of water. Cook until beans are soft, using one of the methods below. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Cooking methods: 

Note: Cooking time will vary depending upon your cooking method and the type and age of your beans but here is what has worked for me.

Oven: Bring water and soup mix to boil in a large dutch oven on stove top. When water boils, cover with lid and place in 250 degree oven for 2-3 hours. This is my favorite method since I don't have to check it.

Stove: Bring water and soup mix to boil in large pot on stove. Turn back heat to a slow simmer for about 2 hours. Add more water if needed.



Slow Cooker: Dump soup mix into slow cooker. Bring water to boil on stove and pour into slow cooker. Cook on high for approximately 5 hours.



Pressure Cooker: Follow the directions for cooking dried beans in your pressure cooker. Mine took about 30 minutes.