Pinto Bean and Sausage Soup

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups dried pinto beans
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
• 2 cups tomato juice
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 4 potatoes, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (13 ounce) package smoked sausage
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Cover pinto beans with water in a bowl and allow to soak overnight. Drain.

Melt butter in a 6-quart stock pot over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and celery in butter until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Stir garlic into onion mixture until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

Stir beef broth, tomato juice, sugar, and drained pinto beans into the vegetable mixture and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Mix potatoes, carrots, oregano, salt, and black pepper into the bean soup; simmer until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes more.

Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.

Place smoked sausage on a baking sheet.

Bake sausage in the preheated oven until browned, about 10 minutes.

Cut sausage into quarters, then slice. Add sausage and parsley to the soup; continue to simmer for 10 more minutes.