Confetti Bean Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 pkg. (16-oz.) 14 varieties dried bean soup mix
4 beef-flavor bouillon cubes
2 lb. smoked ham hocks
3 Tbsp. chopped chives
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried Summer Savory
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
1 bay leaf
1 16-oz. can stewed tomatoes with liquid

Preparation

Rinse beans with running cold water and discard any stones or shriveled beans.
In a 5-quart Dutch oven over high heat, heat beans and 9 cups water to boiling; cook 3 minutes.
Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour.
Drain and rinse beans.
Return beans to Dutch oven; add next 8 ingredients and 8 cups of water. Over high heat, heat to boiling; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 2 hours or until beans are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove ham hocks; cut meat into small pieces and return to soup. Add the can of tomatoes with its liquid; over high heat, heat to boiling.
Reduce heat to low; cook, uncovered, 1 hour longer, stirring to break up tomatoes.
Discard bay leaf.
Serves 10-12.