Sausage and Black Bean Soup

I started making this hearty soup in the wintertime when we lived in Italy.  I love the simplicity of it while still having a fulfilling meal. You can use canned black beans and smoked sausage, such as andouille or Polish kielbasa.

I like to take one can of the beans and blend it with part of the stock to make the soup thicker.  Also, my husband is not a lover of beans so pureeing some and only keeping some whole make it smoother.  Of course you can make it a “brothier” soup by not blending the beans or even thicker by pureeing all of the beans – it is all about personal preference.

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Serves: 4-6

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound kielbasa or other smoked sausage such as andouille, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 medium carrots, small dice
2 shallots, small dice
2 leaks, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (15.5 ounces each) organic black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups chicken broth
Salt and ground pepper, to taste

In a large cast iron or soup pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add sausage and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate to drain.

Add carrots, shallots and leaks to pan and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add 1 can of black beans and broth and bring mixture to a boil.

In a blender add the remaining can of beans and ladle in about ½ cup of soup mixture.  Puree until smooth.

Add the pureed beans back to soup and then add sausage, reduce heat to simmer, and cook until carrots are tender, about 13-15 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.