Serves: 12
Total Calories: 65

QUART-SIZE* JAR INGREDIENTS
1 cup Great Northern white beans
1/3 cup imitation bacon bits
1/3 cup dried minced onion
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon celery flakes
1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
2 cups instant potato flakes

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
8 cups water
(14-ounce) can diced tomato

GIFT TAG for _Hearty Potato-Bean Soup ..........Click the Edit tab and select this entry to open the tag.

1. To presoak the beans, place them in a microwave-safe container with enough water to cover by 2 inches. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and microwave for 15 minutes on high power. Or you can bring the beans to boil in a small pot on the stove, and continue to boil for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let soak for an hour.

2. Drain and rinse the soaked beans, and place them in a large pot along with 8 cups fresh water and all of the remaining jar ingredients except the potato flakes. Stir well, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour while stirring occasionally.

3. Add the tomatoes, and continue to cook another 45 minutes, or until the beans are tender. Stir in the potato flakes and remove from the heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

4. Refrigerate any leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

CREATING THE JAR
1. Wash and thoroughly dry a 1-quart wide-mouth canning jar.

2. Place all of the seasonings shown below in a plastic sandwich bag. Place the potato flakes in another plastic sandwich bag.

3. Add the beans to the jar. Using a flat-bottomed object, such as a tart tamper or the bottom of a narrow glass, make the layer as level as possible. Place the bag of potato flakes on the layer of beans, and top with the seasoning packet.

TOP of the jar
Premixed seasoning packet:
1/3 cup imitation bacon bits
1/3 cup dried minced onion
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon celery flakes
1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
2 cups instant potato flakes
1 cup Great Northern white beans
BOTTOM of the jar

*For pint jar, use half the ingredient amounts.

3. Secure the lid, and decorate as desired (see The Basics: 06-Creating the Jars DECORATING THE JAR). Attach the instructions for making the soup found in the Gift Jar Tags chapter.

From "The Mason Jar Soup to Nuts Cookbook." Copyright 2004 by Lonnette Parks. Used with permission of the publisher, Square One Publishers. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 12
Total Calories: 65
Calories from Fat: 3

More Recipes from the The Mason Jar Soup to Nuts Cookbook Cookbook:
Barley Rice Stew
Beefy Bean Soup
Beefy Chili Soup
Beefy Mac Soup
Dewing's Hearty Vegetable Beef Stew
Gobble-Up Turkey Noodle Soup
Hearty Potato-Bean Soup
Multi-Bean Soup
Potato Soup
Very Veggie Tortellini Soup