Sometimes you have to rely on what you’ve got. It was one of those times, when this soup was born. Then my family asked for it again. And again. Et Voilà, a family recipe! All you need is a chilly evening, hungry people and a good loaf of crusty bread. There are few ingredients, so quality matters. (Get good Kielbasa! Use good stock!) Honestly, it’s almost embarrassingly easy, but if my family loves it this much, well then:

As organic as possible:

2 1/2 cups Chicken stock

2 Kielbasa sausages, about 12 oz each

4 – 15 oz. cans Black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 tsp dried Onion

1/2 tsp granulated Garlic

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp dried Thyme

1 Bay Leaf

Rinse and drain your beans. Set aside.

Cut the Kielbasa into bite sized pieces.

Add the stock, spices, dried herbs, beans and Kielbasa to a pot. Stir.

Simmer for about 25 minutes, until the flavors are married. Taste for seasoning, add more salt or pepper as you’d prefer. Serve with crusty bread.

Enjoy this happy face.