Pinto Bean and Sausage Soup
This soup with pinto beans was one of my favorites at a local deli. The woman who owned and made the soups there was retiring. I asked her why, and she said, 'I'm an old lady. I'm tired of getting up early for work.' She gave me the recipe for one of my favorites. I made a few tweaks; it's delicious!
dried pinto beans
1 ½
cups
butter
1
tablespoon
onion, chopped
1
celery, chopped
2
stalks
minced garlic
½
teaspoon
beef broth
2
(14 ounce) cans
tomato juice
2
cups
white sugar
2
tablespoons
potatoes, diced
4
carrots, diced
2
dried oregano
¾
teaspoon
salt
½
teaspoon
ground black pepper
¾
teaspoon
smoked sausage
1
(13 ounce) package
chopped fresh parsley
½
cup
 Cover pinto beans with water in a large bowl and allow to soak, 8 hours to overnight. Drain.
  Melt butter in a 6-quart stockpot over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and celery in hot butter until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir garlic into onion mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
  Stir beef broth, tomato juice, sugar, and drained pinto beans into 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 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 soup; continue to simmer for 10 more minutes.
