Meaty 'Cuban Black Bean' Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 cups dry black beans
2 cups water
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch strips
4 (3.5 ounce) links sweet Italian sausage
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sherry
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine the beans with the water and let soak overnight. Beans will double in size so be sure to use a large enough bowl. In the morning, drain and rinse the beans.
In a large pot over high heat, combine the beans, chicken, sausage, bay leaves, cumin, onion, garlic and sherry. Add enough water to cover all ingredients.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until beans are tender. Add tomato paste to soup and stir until dissolved.