Meaty 'Cuban Black Bean' Soup

• 2 cups dry black beans
• 2 cups water
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch strips
• 4 (3.5 ounce) links sweet Italian sausage
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon sherry
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1. In a large bowl, combine the beans with the water and let soak overnight. Beans will double in size so be sure to use a large enough bowl. In the morning, drain and rinse the beans.
2. In a large pot over high heat, combine the beans, chicken, sausage, bay leaves, cumin, onion, garlic and sherry. Add enough water to cover all ingredients.
3. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until beans are tender. Add tomato paste to soup and stir until dissolved.

black beans, water, skinless, links sweet italian sausage, bay leaves, ground cumin, onions, garlic, sherry, tomato paste

Taken from www.allrecipes.com/recipe/14957/meaty-cuban-black-bean-soup/ (may not work)