Instructions: Presoak (8 hrs) or preboil (1 hr) beans, drain and rinse. Add chicken stock to soup pot and add beans. Turn heat on low. Add all ingredients just like that. Do not precook meat. The grated potato thickens the broth, another favorite thickener may be used, I prefer the potato. Simmer this soup for 2 hours before serving. I probably add more basil than listed, do that to taste. Go easy on the sage but it is quite important. You may add a tablespoon of sugar to perk this soup up a bit, I do not recall off hand if I did or not. Another ingredient to perk it up is a tablespoon of vinegar-dont overdo.

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