In effort to be as economical as possible, I’ve been subjecting my family to the same bean soup all week long.  It’s so hearty and the best part is that the ingredients cost $5.   What I’m trying to tell you is, when times get hard eat your beans.

Cheap Bean Soup

I took Mark Bittman’s advice to soak dry beans rather than buying beans in a can.  He is right, it’s so much cheaper.  With a tiny bit of foresight you can save on money and packaging.  I bought two packages of Jack Rabbit mixed beans.  The bean mix contained butter, black, kidney, northern, black-eyed-peas, split green pea, split yellow bean, red and more kinds too.

I used my “free” meaty ham bones from the butcher, browned them with 2 tbs. butter, two stalks of celery diced, and three carrots diced.

I added the bean mix that had been soaking for at least 10 hours.  After about four hours simmering on the stove, the ham fell off the bone and the beans were tender. I removed the bone and skimmed the fat.

The amazing part is that this bean soup cost about $5 for the beans and vegetables.  I fed my family approximately six lunches and four dinners.   A side of cheesy or buttered whole grain toast really makes this a meal.  Storkbite asks for beans by name and she is getting so much fantastic fiber and nutrion from this mix.  I want a bean feast!