Sausage Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb. mild sausage
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion
3 Tbs. chili powder
½ tsp. ground cayenne pepper or ground chipotle pepper
1 tsp. dried basil
1 lg. can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
5 cans (14.5 oz.) kidney beans, drained (or mix beans with canned black, pinto, and/or cannellini beans)
1 lg. can (64 oz.) tomato juice
3 Tbs. salt
Ground black pepper

Directions:

Heat 1 Tbs. of the olive oil in a skillet and brown the sausage in it.  Heat the other 2 Tbs. of olive oil in a large soup pot.  Cut the onion into chunky, bite-size pieces and add to the olive oil.  Sauté the onion for a few minutes until translucent and then add the chili powder, cayenne or chipotle pepper, and dried basil.  When the spices begin to adhere to the bottom of the pot, add the canned tomatoes and stir, cleaning off the bottom of the pot.  Add the drained beans, tomato juice, sausage, salt and pepper and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  After coming to a boil, turn down to a simmer and stir occasionally.  The soup is ready now, but you can let it simmer for hours and serve it as needed.

All ingredient amounts can be adjusted to your taste.  Fewer beans, more tomatoes, more heat, less onion, more onion, less salt – it’s all good!