Three B's Three Bean and Lentil Soup

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The Doctor and the little guy love this recipe and it is very easy to make. Three b's- bacon, beer, beans but I also like lentils and using a combination of different beans It can easily be converted to vegetarian by not adding bacon and using veggie stock instead of chicken stock. We always have home-made chicken stock, beans and lentils in the pantry, so I make it a lot when I'm feeling lazy. I usually throw in something different every time, most of the time its something in the fridge I need to use up. I cannot wait to make it next fall with everything from our garden! Well except the celery, bacon, lentils and chicken stock. We usually get dinner for three, with leftovers for lunch the next day (sometimes I put it in the freezer so when I'm really lazy I can just defrost it).

4 oz each of dried; lentils, black beans, pinto beans, and small red beans. (use any combination of beans)

6-8 cups chicken stock

1-2 small hot peppers, dried (I think they were Thai chili peppers but they were from the farmers market)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

2 celery stocks, chopped

1 Red bell pepper, chopped

3 strips of bacon, raw

12 oz beer (we usually use Miller High Life, but any beer will work)

1 tsp or so Italian seasoning

2 dried Bay leaves

Soak beans and lentils over night in plenty of water. Rinse well in the morning and place in crock pot with chicken stock, bay leaves, bacon, beer and dried small hot peppers. Bring to boil and reduce heat, stirring occasionally.

Around mid-day, saute onion, carrots, celery, red bell pepper and garlic, until the onions are translucent. Sprinkle Italian seasoning over the veggies, stir and cook about 30 more seconds, then add to the crock pot.

Cook until beans are soft, remove bacon, bay leaves, and hot peppers and salt to taste. I have also added chicken, or polska kielbasa or tomatoes before and they all work well, but its also wonderful just as is. If you add tomatoes make sure to add after beans have cooked.

Here is a picture of the dried small hot peppers I used, they are about the size of my pinkie finger.