Italian Pasta And Bean Soup Mix

1/2 cup dried pinto beans
1/2 cup dried pink beans
1/2 cup dried kidney beans
1 cup small egg pasta bows
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon instant chicken broth, granules
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Place beans into a 3 1/2 cup jar (layer or mix together) with a tight-fitting lid.

Place pasta in a ziplock baggie and place on top of the beans.

Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl and place in a small ziplock baggie.

Include the following recipe:

Italian Pasta and Bean Soup Mix

Remove pasta and seasoning packets. Rinse beans. Cover with water and soak overnight. Rinse and place in a 5-quart Dutch oven with 8 cups water, 1 can (28-ounces) crushed tomatoes, seasoning packet and 1 cup each of coarsely chopped carrot, celery and onion. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours or until beans are tender-firm. Uncover, increase heat to medium-low and boil gently for 35 minutes, stirring until soup has thickened slightly. Stir in pasta, increase heat to medium and cook 10 minutes longer or until pasta is tender.

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This recipe may be freely distributed with the following information:

Leslie Sausage lives with her husband in rural Texas. She is the mom of four grown children, a freelance writer, and has a degree in business administration. You are invited to visit her online for more creative, practical and fun ideas -- http://heart4home.net.