Northern Bean Lentil and Veggie Soup

1) Sort and rinse beans and allow them to soak overnight in vegetable broth and seasonings.
2) Begin cooking the beans by bringing them to a slow boil and allow to simmer. As it cooks, skim the scum on top that forms while the beans cook and stir occasionally. Allow to simmer until the beans are almost done--this is usually about 3 hours. Add lentils and vegetables and cook another 20 minutes or until everything is tender.
This soup is fairly thick and can be eaten that way or thinned out.
Oh don't forget to take out the bay leaf either!
I blended this soup in a food processor so that my brother, who just had dental work done, could eat it without a problem. I realized too that this would taste really good in a flour tortilla as an alternative to plain refried beans!
Source of recipe: I wanted to make a stew/soup that was good tasting and good for my fam! I just threw this stuff together.