Southwest Sausage Soup
A friend of mine loves the flavors of the southwest and asked me to make a Southwest Sausage Soup for her. She prefers chicken sausage but you can substitute with pork sausage. It is a hearty soup that isn't overloaded with calories but is loaded with flavor.
Ingredients
1 small sweet onion, chopped2 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups vegetable broth56 ounces crushed tomatoes in puree
15 1/2 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed
15 ounces white corn, drained
11 ounces Italian chicken sauage, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
3 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons salt2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/2 cup uncooked rice
Directions
In 5 quart sauce pan, over medium heat, add onion, carrots, celery and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook, covered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and blend, using a blender or an immersion blender, until smooth. Return soup to pan.
Add tomatoes, beans, corn, sausage, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir well. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Add rice. Stir well. Simmer, covered for 1/2 hour.