Black Bean and Smoked Sausage Soup with Peppers

This is another good soup for

lunch on frosty winter days.

* * *

Ingredients:

3/4 to 1 lb. of smoked sausage (either beef or pork)

2 14.5 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup chopped white onion

2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 to 1 red (or green) bell pepper, finely chopped

3 Hatch peppers, grilled, peeled, seeded, and

chopped into small pieces

1 cup beef stock

1 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried, crushed oregano

Sour cream

Italian parsley

Procedure:

1. Cut sausage into bite-size pieces and fry in skillet

over medium heat until it browns a bit; remove from

skillet and set aside.

2. Sauté onion and garlic in skillet with sausage

drippings for 5 minutes; remove from pan and set aside.

3. Place beans, sausage, onions, garlic, bell pepper,

Hatch peppers, beef stock, water, salt, and oregano

in covered 3 qt. pan and heat to boiling; remove lid

and lower temperature, simmering until soup thickens

to desired consistency.

4. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling

of freshly-chopped Italian parsley.

NOTES:

1. The Hatch peppers I used were rather spicy, so I

didn't need to add any other seasoning but salt. You

could use other types of peppers (serranos, for instance)

or season with cayenne pepper or hot pepper sauce.

Or you can make a milder version without hot seasoning,

substituting regular pepper, thyme, oregano, or other

spices to taste.

2. I imagine one could use turkey sausage instead of

pork or beef; it's better, I think, to have a smoked variety

as that enhances the flavor of the soup.

3. Chicken or vegetable stock can be used instead of

the beef stock if desired, or one can replace it altogether

with water, although I think the stock helps give the soup

a richer flavor.

4. Afterthought: It's just occurred to me that one could

easily substitute one can or whole kernel corn for one

of the cans of black beans for an even more Southwestern

kind of soup.