14-Bean Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 quarts water
1 lb mixed beans (usually around 14 different beans in the bag)
2 teaspoons salt
2 (10 ounce) cans chicken broth (I use College Inn)
1 cup chopped celery, diced
4 medium carrots, diced
2 large onions, chopped
1 (20 ounce) can tomatoes, chopped
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons parsley
5 chicken bouillon cubes
2 (6 ounce) cans V8 vegetable juice
1/2 cup raw rice
1 slice deli ham or 1 slice deli turkey, 1 1/2 inch thick slice,cubed

Preparation

Wash and sort beans.
Place first 7 ingredients in a large pot.
Bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat.
Allow to stand for 1 hour; return to heat and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer till veggies are tender adding water if necessary (if you add too much water you will need to add another bouillon cube--but be careful, they are salty).
Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer about 30 minutes.
Serve with bread and a green salad.