Rice And Bean Soup Or "cupboard Soup" Or "oops, D

Total Time: 13 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 12 hrs Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 cup red beans
• 1 cup black beans
• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3 garlic cloves, smooshed not crushed
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 6 cups water, add more as necessary
• 8 ounces frozen corn
• 2 huge sweet potatoes

Recipe

• 1 rinse beans and soak overnight. forgot to soak them overnight? put them in a sauce pan and cover with water. bring to a boil. turn off and let soak for 1-2 hours. drain water, add new water and cook. cook 2 cups of beans enough water to cover plus 2 inches. bring to a boil and then reduce heat and cook on medium for 1 1/2-2 hours, or until beans are soft.
• 2 add garlic, tomatoes, salt and pepper when you first start cooking the beans. about 2 minutes before beans are done, add 1 cup rice. add more water if you need to, as the rice will soak up about 2 cups of water.
• 3 cook corn as directed on package.
• 4 bake sweet potatoes (don't forget to split/pierce them!) at 350°f for 1 hour in baking dish with 1/4-inch of water, and covered with foil. makes for a delicious, sweet and mushy sweet potato!
• 5 options:.
• 6 add taco seasoning (i did not!), add corn with the soup (i wanted the kids to eat their veggies, and figured they would prefer them out of the soup!), replace diced tomatoes with "tomatoes and green chilies" to give the soup some kick. replace corn with diced potatoes -- the possibilities are endless! i just used what i had in the cupboards. :).
• 7 did i mention how i love simmering soups because they add a little humidity to the otherwise dry and stale air?!