Easy Bean Soup Recipe

With cooler weather forecast this week, I decided to try a recipe from the back of a package of dried beans. The 15-Bean package included Cajun seasoning, which provided the right amount of zing. My family enjoyed the soup, and best of all, I let it stew in the slow cooker all day while my son and his friend regaled me with stories of "Star Wars" and popular video games. Best of all, with the economic slowdown, this recipe probably cost less than $5 and will feed an army of hungry boys. Pair this with corn meal muffins (36 cents for the Jiffy brand) and it's an easy meal that you don't have to worry about since the soup cooks while you're at work (or at play with the kids).

Here's the recipe:
1 package 15-bean dried beans
1 onion, chopped (or use frozen onions)
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 22-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 roll of sausage, browned and drained
Salt and pepper to taste
Package of Cajun seasoning

Soak beans overnight, drain and rinse. Place tomatoes in bottom of slow cooker, add beans. Brown sausage, onions and garlic in skillet and add to mixture. Stir in seasoning package. Add salt and pepper to taste. I also added a couple of dashes of cayenne peppers harvested from my garden earlier this summer, but my family likes spicy food. I also added a fourth of a tomato can of water so that the mixture doesn't get too thick. Simmer in the slow cooker for six hours.

P.S. - I had some ham leftover from the night before, so I tossed a couple of slices (chopped) in for extra flavor. The original recipe called for Italian sausage, but I didn't have any of that on hand so I improvised with regular bulk pork sausage. No one here complained. Because of the high fiber count, this soup is very filling. You'll have plenty of leftovers for lunches to take to the office or even to freeze for busier nights down the road.