Black Bean and Chorizo Soup

The cast of characters

Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a large pot. Put the heat on medium. Add the chopped veggies and bay leaf and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about five minutes

Drain two cans of the beans and add to the pot. For the third can, add the liquid and half the beans to the pot. Mash the rest of the beans in the can with a fork and then add to the pot (this will thicken the soup). Add the cumin, salt, pepper, and a few good shakes of the hot sauce. Stir to combine.

Add the tomatoes (with liquid) and broth. Stir and bring to a boil.


While the soup is simmering, prep the chorizo.

But first, let's talk about it. Normally, I use the kind of chorizo that's already cooked. All I do is dice it and then brown it in a skillet for a few minutes. But this time, I accidentally bought the uncooked chorizo. I had to cut it from the casing and break it up. Since the chorizo was ground instead of diced, this soup looked much more like chili than it usually does. Both ways taste good so it's up to you what you choose to do.

So, anyway, put the chorizo in a skillet. If it's cooked and cut into chunks, just brown it for about 3 minutes, then add it to the soup pot. If it's uncooked, cook it, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until fully cooked, about 8 minutes.
Looks kinda gross...
Looks kinda awesome...
Once it's fully cooked, drain excess grease and add the sausage to the soup pot. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Let simmer for 20 minutes or so.

After simmering for a while. It looks SO much like chili when using the bulk chorizo.
Serve topped with cheese and sour cream.