Black Bean Sausage Soup & Fancied-up Cornbread

We love when it starts getting cooler outside because it means we can make more soup, stew, and chili recipes. Mmmmm, makes me hungry to look at this photo...these two recipes are family favorites of ours and they're very easy to whip up quickly. 

Ingredients for Black Bean Sausage Soup:
1/2 onion, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 Tbsp chili powder (1 Tbsp for more flavor)
3/4 Tbsp cumin (1 Tbsp for more flavor)
3 cans black beans, undrained
2 large cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 cup salsa
1 lime
1 link of sausage, sliced into thin bite-sized pieces (we used a Hormel pre-cooked sausage link)
Shredded cheese, for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish

Directions for Black Bean Sausage Soup:
1. Saute diced onions, garlic, and olive oil in large pot on stove until the onions are softened (2-3 min).  Stir in chili powder and cumin.
2. Add black beans and salsa.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 min.  Remove from heat.
3. Scoop out half of the soup mixture and puree in blender.  Add puree back into the pot.  Cut lime in half, and squeeze both halves into soup. Stir.
4. Heat sausage in a small frying pan until hot.  Add to pot of soup and stir.  Let pot of soup sit on low heat for 5 minutes.
5. Serve hot with shredded cheese and sour cream on top.

Ingredients for Fancied-up Corn Bread:
1 box of Jiffy cornbread mix, and ingredients called for on box
1 can sweet yellow corn, drained
1/4 cup sugar

Directions for Fancied-up Corn Bread:
1. Mix cornbread in a large bowl as directed on Jiffy box.
2. Once mixed, add corn and sugar.
3. Bake as directed on Jiffy box...you may have to cook it a bit longer until it browns on top.
4. Serve warm topped with butter (and honey, for those with an extra sweet tooth).

Hope you enjoy as much as our baby girl does! -Kristen