Another Delicious Recipe

A friend of mine asked me for this recipe today and since I had already typed it up I decided I would post it here too. It is my dad's recipe and is especially good this time of year as the leaves start to change:

Italian Black Bean Chili
by Leonard Nevin

• 1/2 lb Italian sausage
• 2 cans black beans (15 oz)
• 1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth (or beef bouillon)
• 1 can (8 oz) tomato soup
• 1 cup very thinly sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (cook with meat)
• 2 bay leaves

In 4 qt saucepan, cook sausage until browned; drain. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes*. Remove bay leaves. Use a potato masher to mash carrots and beans slightly. Soup will thicken while mashing beans. (approx. 9 servings)

Variations:

• 1 green or red bell pepper, diced
  
• cook 1/2 lb hamburger along with the sausage
• substitute 1 can red kidney beans or small red beans for 1 can of the black beans
• add 1 can of re-fried black beans or regular re-fried beans to thicken
• add any type of pepper that you like to make spicier

*If you add peppers, extra onions, or anything else vegetable-like it will probably increase the simmer time unless you partially cook them before adding.