Smoked Sausage and Cabbage Soup

This is my favorite cabbage soup ever!

Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
2 leeks, chopped (whites and light green only)
2 cloves garlic
3 medium carrots, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 smoked sausage, sliced
6 cups of water
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
1 small head cabbage, cored and chopped
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
fresh pepper to taste
1 cube chicken bouillon

Directions
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium low heat. Add leeks and sauté until soft, about 4-5 minutes; add garlic, carrots and yellow pepper and sauté about 2-3 minutes.
On another pan brown the sausage with little oil and when they're brown on both sides add the slices to the pot or Dutch oven.
Add bay leaves, parsley, chicken bouillon and water; cover and bring to a boil. Add the cabbage and potatoes, taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed. Cook until the potatoes and cabbage are tender, about 30 more minutes.

Savory Ramen Soup

I wanted to have some kind of pasta for lunch today, but since I had Ramen noodles I decided I'd go with that, and add a couple more things to make it delicious.

1 serving

Ingredients
1 Ramen Soup package, I used picante Chicken flavor
1 cup frozen vegetables, I used Normandy blend
1 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
1 tsp peanut butter
1/3 tsp Sriracha sauce
1 tb Hoisin sauce
1 tsp Kikkoman soy sauce
1 tsp olive oil

Directions
Cook the ramen soup as directed in the package.
Place a small pan on medium flame. Add the olive oil. When hot add the vegetables, housing sauce, soy sauce and ginger and mix. While the noodles are cooking, add the peanut butter and mix, pour the vegetables in the soup and let them cook for a minute or two. Add Sriracha sauce (optional) Serve hot and enjoy!

Black bean soup

This is a very delicious bean soup and so easy to make. I had some Jasmine rice in the refrigerator from another meal and added 1/3 cup of rice into the soup. The rice is a nice compliment to the soup because it's a grain and its flavor is not too strong, so it blends perfectly with the beans.

By the way, I cook my own beans. Here's my method, it's so simple:
1. If preferred soak 1 cup of beans overnight and the next morning drain, discarding soaking water.
2. Add water to about an inch from top of beans and boil gently 1 to 1 1/2 hrs. or until tender.
Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
3/4 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp cumin
15 oz black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp Mexican sour cream

Directions
1.In a large saucepan, combine onion, oil, garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt to taste. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in beans and broth. Reduce heat to medium-low.
2.Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Mash some beans against side of pan. Serve sprinkled with Mexican sour cream and cilantro (optional).