Amy's Black Bean Soup

It's a winter wonderland outside and there's nothing better than a nice bowl of soup on a cold winter's day, so I though I'd share one of my favorite recipes.

This is my sister-in-law's recipe and it is delicious! She's quite the cook. I can only dream of being half as good in the kitchen as her, and even I can make this and it taste good! I like to serve it with a cheese quesadilla for a lovely southwestern style meal.

Amy's Black Bean Soup

1 small onion, chopped
1 pkg Polish kielbasa sausage, cut in bite size pieces
3 cans chicken broth
4 cans black beans, 1 mashed
1 can Rotel tomatoes and chilies
2 tbs tomato paste
1 bunch cilantro
juice of 3 limes
kosher salt and pepper to taste
cumin to taste
Cheyenne pepper to taste

-In a large stock pot, saute onion over medium low heat until just translucent.
-Add sausage and cook until browned and heated through
-Add chicken broth, beans (process 1 can of the beans in food processor to make a paste or mash in a bowl with a fork), Rotel, and tomato paste. Stir to combine.
-Add salt to bring up flavor of broth. Add pepper to taste.
-Add a few dashes of Cheyenne pepper. Add as much as you like, but ease into it. This determines how spicy hot it will be. A little goes a long way!
-Add more cumin than Cheyenne, several dashes. This determines the level of smokiness. Taste it and add more if you like.
-Add chopped cilantro and lime juice. Allow to simmer.
-Continue to taste and add seasoning to your liking.

Enjoy!