Trouble With Toast

One day recently, I was in search of a quick and hearty meal that would satisfy the first time around AND reheat well.  Enter the Crock Pot!  I search the Food Network recipe database and came up with this doozy of a soup.

The pros: It’s definitely easy, and it will definitely warm you up on a cold day!  The black beans fill you up, the sausage (I used chicken andouille) has a great kick, and the cumin gives the whole shebang a lovely smoky flavor.  It’s also tasty over rice or couscous.

The cons: The crab is expensive (jumbo lump cost me $18.99 per cup), and it’s really unnecessary–especially since the andouille sausage has such a strong taste.  The soup is a little on the thin side, and I found the quantity of tomatoes to be insufficient (but I really like tomatoes, so this may not be a con for everyone).

The verdict: Without the crab, and with a little taste-tweaking, this soup is an affordable and CRAZY easy option.  Enjoy!

• 2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained
  4 cups chicken broth
  1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
  1/2 pound diced andouille sausage
  1/2 cup diced onion
  1/2 cup diced celery
  1/2 cup diced carrots
  1 teaspoon ground cumin
  2 bay leaves
  Salt and pepper
  2 cups lump crabmeat
  1/4 cup chopped cilantro

In a slow cooker, combine beans, broth, tomatoes, sausage, onion, celery, carrots, cumin, bay leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Mix well. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with crab and cilantro.