Black Bean Soup

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 carrots, skinned and chopped diagonally
• 2 stalks celery, chopped diagonally
• 1 sweet pepper, chopped
• 2 (14 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes (or 8 fresh, steamed peeled and chopped)
• 2 (14 ounce) cans black beans
• 8 hot Italian sausages, peeled (about two pounds)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig thyme, leaves removed
• sea salt
• black pepper
• 1 1/2 liters vegetable broth (I highly recommend the sodium reduced stuff!)
• 1 large vidalia onion, diced finely

1. Heat olive oil in a pot.
2. Add onions, garlic and skinned sliced sausages; saute over medium heat for 5 minutes.
3. Add carrots and celery, saute 5 minutes.
4. Add peppers and tomatoes, saute 5 minutes.
5. Add salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf, saute 5 minutes.
6. Drain and puree one can of black beans, add other can with juice, and saute 5 minutes.
7. Add vegetable broth.
8. Lower temperature and simmer for at least one hour, stirring occasionally.
9. Tastes the better for longer cooking. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprig on completion.

olive oil, garlic, carrots, stalks celery, sweet pepper, tomatoes, black beans, italian sausages, bay leaf, thyme, salt, black pepper, vegetable broth, vidalia onion

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/black-bean-soup-164075 (may not work)