Black Bean Soup

What better meal for a blustery night? This recipe makes a ton and freezes well, so there will be plenty of meals at the ready for later. I usually don't put any meat in this soup, with the exception of bacon on occasion, but tonight I decided to use some Italian sausage links. The flavor addition was subtle, but it was tasty. An immersion blender is a helpful gadget to have when pureeing soups—it saves you the step of pouring the soup mixture into a food processor or blender and then back into the pot to reheat. I served the soup with Homemade Tortilla Chips and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!

Black Bean Soup
2 bacon slices, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed
3 cans black beans, drained
1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (10-oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
1 (32-oz.) container chicken stock
1 1/2 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven until beginning to crisp. Remove from Dutch oven, and drain; reserve drippings in skillet. Cook onions in hot oil and drippings until onions begin to soften; stir in garlic, and cook 1 minute. Add in sausage, and cook until meat crumbles and is browned. Remove sausage from Dutch oven. Stir in black beans, tomatoes, chicken stock, cumin, and chili powder.
2. Puree mixture in Dutch oven with an immersion blender until desired consistency is achieved. Stir in sausage, bacon, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until thoroughly heated.