KnotGyspy's Cajun Black Bean and Sausage Soup

I had some black beans in the freezer*. I had some "Sage" flavor sausage leftover from a pancake breakfast the day before. Hmmmmm...Wait, I also had some green bell pepper and of course some onions.

I envisioned a sort of "Cajun" style soup, as the Cajun seasonings would go well with the sage in the sausage.

Into the kitchen I went.

In a Soup Pot, I put:

about 2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 onion, halved and sliced
1 small green bell pepper, sliced into slivers

I sauteed this mixture until onions and peppers were slightly browned.

Then, in a skillet, I browned the sausage (about half a pound chub) like you do with ground beef. I put the sausage into the Soup Pot with the onions and peppers. Then I deglazed the skillet with some water and added this to the Soup Pot as well. This sausage was low in fat and therefore did not need draining.

Next, I added a couple of cups of water and a beef boullion cube to the Soup Pot.

Now for the black beans. I had about 3 cups cooked black beans with their cooking liquid. I pureed about a cup of them in my blender (for a creamy thickener) and added them all to the Soup Pot.

My Sweetie loves corn, so I added about a cup of corn.

I felt it needed some tomatoes, so I added about a half a can. (Save the other half for another meal).

Okay, I have the basis of soup now. All I need is seasoning. I added about a teaspoon of Cajun Seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon sage. Then, of course, a little salt and pepper.

I simmered it for about an hour and it turned out quite well if I do say so myself. My finicky husband ate two big bowls and he does not like black beans, nor does he like tomatoes cooked into soups and stews...oh well, so much for what he thinks he does not like! My friend's finicky daughter liked it as well. I guess it was a success. I had to save one small bowl in order to have some to photograph!

I am sorry I do not have exact measurements, but this soup was made "in the moment". When I am being creative, I just cannot be bothered to stop and do such logical things as measuring! Next time I make it, and I will, I will get the measurements for you. I promise.

*My habit is to soak a bag of beans overnight. Then, I rinse them and put them in my crockpot and cover with water. Then I cook them on HIGH for about 3 hours (your time may vary with your crockpot) until tender but not mushy. I do not season them at this stage. Then, I separate them into meal size batches (for us, it is about 2-3 cups per container) and freeze them. When I am ready to use them, I thaw them out and season them as appropriate to whatever use I am putting them to.