Vegetarian Basque Soup

1          pound dry white limas (baby or large)
1          cup chopped onion
1 1/2   cups chopped celery
1/4       cup butter or margarine
1/4       cup flour
1/2       teaspoon salt
1/8       teaspoon pepper
3          cups milk
1          can (16-oz.) tomatoes
1          can (16-oz.) whole kernel corn
1/4       pound Monterey Jack cheese or sharp Cheddar

Soak beans by preferred method. Drain. In large kettle, cook beans in 6 to 8 cups hot water with 1-1/2 teaspoons salt. Cook until tender - about 1 hour. Don’t drain. Meanwhile, cook onion and celery briefly in butter in a 1-1/2 quart saucepan. Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Stir in milk and bring mixture to boil. Add to beans and their liquid, along with remaining ingredients. Heat all to boiling. For extra zip, add a few dashes of bottled hot sauce.  Makes 12 generous servings.

Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories-256, (From Fat-23%), Protein-15g, Carbohydrate-36g, Fat-7g, Sodium-653 mg,Potassium-767 mg, Dietary Fiber-8g, Calcium-158 mg, Iron-3mg, Vitamin A-569 iu, Vitamin C-11 mg, Cholesterol-18 mg