"Italian" Style 15 Bean Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 c. mixed dry beans
1 (No. 10) can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. lite soya sauce
water as needed
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
6 lb. dried beans (see instructions)
3 c. olive oil
8 cloves garlic, peeled, mashed and minced
3 yellow onions, peeled and minced
1 large carrot, scraped and finely chopped
1 celery stalk with leaves (remove tough white end, scrape to remove strings and finely chop)
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 cans crushed tomatoes, seeded and peeled
4 chicken bouillon cubes, dissolved in a minimum of boiling water
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. dried basil
1 Tbsp. dried thyme
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 c. fresh parsley, fresh chopped

Preparation

In a pan, heat the oil.
Saute the onions until slightly golden.
Add the garlic and celery; saute slightly.
Bring a gallon of water to a boil.
Add the largest beans.
Simmer; remove any scum that forms.
After about 30 minutes, add the next size of beans.
Continue until the split peas and lentils are added.
As any skum forms, skim it from the top.
Add the oil with onions, garlic and celery.
Add the carrots.
Add the vinegar and spices. Add the chicken bouillon or stock.
Stir frequently, but gently. Add the crushed tomatoes (avoid any seeds).
Continue simmering until the beans are soft.
At this point, the soup may be served. However, it may be simmered longer until all of the beans cook into a mush.
If the soup becomes too thick, it may be thinned with chicken stock or water.
Garnish with finely chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread.