| 2 lb mixed dried beans * | 3 lb canned vegetarian beans in tomato sauce |
| 4 bay leaves | Salt and fresh ground black pepper |
| 4 green chilies, deseeded and chopped | 1 head of garlic, peeled and finely chopped |
| 5 medium onions (about 5 lb), chopped | 6 tbsps olive oil |
| 2 oz butter (or 2 tbsps extra olive oil) | 3 chipotles, thinly sliced * |
| 3 tsps dry mustard | 3 tbsps Worcester sauce |
| 1 tsp dried basil leaves | 1 tsp cumin |
METHOD
Wash and drain beans, removing any small stones or dirt. Cover with water and soak overnight. Drain and cover with fresh water. Add 2 tbsps salt and the bay leaves and cook in a slow cooker for 7-8 hours or simmer in a covered pan for 2 1/2 - 3 hours until beans are tender.
On high heat, heat oil and butter in a large saucepan *. Sauté garlic in hot oil until it just begins to brown. Add chilies and sauté one minute. Add onions and sauté until soft, stirring often. Stir in chipotles and reduce heat to low.
Drain beans, remove bay leaves and add to onion mixture. Add canned beans, mustard, cumin, pepper, Worcester sauce and basil leaves. Mix well. Adjust seasoning to taste. Divide into portions and freeze. To serve: reheat and serve with crusty whole wheat bread.
Makes 10 portions (about 20 cups)
* NOTES. Any mixture of favorite beans can be used but avoid a large proportion of black beans. I use a 15 bean soup pack augmented with whatever I have around.
Chipotles are wonderful chilies which impart earthy and smoky aromas with some heat. I remove the stems and snip them finely with scissors, seeds and all. If they are unobtainable it's worth a visit to Mexico City to get some or, if you really can't get them, use dried hot chilies to taste.
Use a heavy 5 quart saucepan for final assembly. If you don't have one this big, halve the quantities.
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