Good Luck Soup for New Year's Day

In the cook book Taste the Best---25 years, St. Mark Spinnakers had a recipe for Bean Soup.  At that time they assembled and sold jars of mixed dried beans to fund their mission projects.  Pictured above is a variation on this recipe using a commercially bought 15 bean mix and using sausage instead of ham.

Good Luck Bean Soup

1  pt. mixed beans (6-8 varieties*)
2 qt. water
Ham hocks
1 onion, chopped
1 can tomatoes
1 red hot pepper
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste.

1. Wash beans; cover with water and soak overnight.  Drain
2. Cover with 2 quarts of water
3. Add ham hocks and 1 onion, or kielbasa sausage is also good.
4. Simmer 3-5 hours.
5. Add tomatoes, red hot pepper, garlic, juice of 1 lemon, salt, and pepper to taste.
6.  Simmer to desired degree of doneness.
7. Sit back, relax, eat and enjoy!

*Possible mix of beans:  Northern, Pinto, Lima, Black-eyed, Garbanzo, Split pea, Kidney, Cranberry Bean, Red, Pink, White, Lentil, Navy, White Kidney, Black