Fifteen Bean Soup

Celebrate the onset of Fall with some 15 Bean Soup. Yay for Fall!

1 lb bag dry 15 bean soup 1-2 lb smoked ham hock 2 palmfuls real bacon bits 1-2 cups onion (chopped) 1 can diced tomatoes 1 can chicken stock

1/2 tsp chili powder 1 slosh wine 1 stick carrot (slices or chunk) 1 stalk celery (slices or chunk) 1 garlic clove (minced) 1 slosh of my homemade datil pepper sauce

I start by THROWING AWAY that nasty fake pork flavoring packet.  I am all about the quick cooking method, so today I brought the beans to boil 3 quarts of water.  They don't tell you to, but I switch out the discolored water (it looks brown to me, plus this is the passy-gassy part) for chicken stock and water. I eyeball it to add the water level back up to where it was before I dumped it out.  Next, I toss in everything elso on the list.  Cook for a couple of hours, stirring every so often so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot, and voila!

How about some corn bread to go with that??