Meaty ‘Cuban Black Bean’ Soup

Directions

Ingredients :

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

Methods :

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.

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.

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.