Photo by Stephanie Staton

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Gift Jar

• 1-pint canning jar
• 2 cups dried beans (ideally 1/4 cup each of eight different types)
• ribbon
• label or recipe card

Seasoning Pack

• 1 T. dried parsley
• 1 T. dried minced onion
• 2 tsp. seasoning salt
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 8-inch squares cheesecloth

Preparation

Gift Jar
Layer beans in jar. Alternate light and dark beans for contrast. Screw on lid.

Seasoning Pack
Lay two cheesecloth squares on top of each other, aligning the edges. Place seasoning mix in center of cheesecloth, bring corners together and tie into bundle. Attach seasoning bundle to neck of jar with ribbon.

Add the following poem and recipe to either the label or a recipe card:

Buddy Bean Soup
Soup to warm the soul, from me to you,
Thanks for being a friend so true,
Layers of colorful memories shared,
Seasoned with all those times you cared.
Thanks for being a special friend,
May your soup pot have no end!

Directions for making soup:
Rinse beans, place in bowl and cover with at least 1 inch water. Let stand overnight.
When hydrated, drain beans in colander and rinse well with water.

In slow cooker or large pot, cover beans with fresh water and cook about two hours or until beans are soft. (Set slow cooker to low to medium power. Use low heat on stove top.) Drain beans and rinse with fresh water.

Place beans in large pot and cover with 6 cups water. Open attached seasoning packet and sprinkle into soup. Add 2 cups fresh, chopped tomatoes or one 16-ounce can chopped tomatoes in juice. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add additional water or tomato juice to achieve desired consistency.

Remove bay leaves before serving and season to taste.