Title: Black bean, sausage, and sweet potato soup
 Categories: None
      Yield: 1 Servings
 
  1 1/2 c  Dried black beans; picked
           -over
      3    Garlic cloves; minced
      1    Bay leaf
    1/4 ts Ground allspice
      2 c  Chicken broth
  5 1/2 c  Plus 1 tablespoon water
      1 tb Tomato paste
    1/4 lb Smoked hot beef and pork
           -sausage; (about 2 links),
           -cut into 1/2-inch pieces
    1/2 ts Worcestershire sauce
      1 lb Sweet potatoes
      3    Scallions; chopped
           Garnish: chopped scallion
           -greens
 
  In a 4-quart saucepan simmer beans, garlic, bay leaf, allspice,
  broth, and 5 1/2 cups water, partially covered, until beans are
  tender, about 50 minutes. Discard bay leaf. In a blender pur0e 1 cup
  beans with 1 cup cooking liquid and return to pan.
  
  In a small bowl stir together tomato paste and remaining tablespoon
  water and stir into beans with sausage and Worcestershire sauce.
  Simmer soup, covered, 15 minutes. Soup may be prepared up to this
  point 3 days ahead, cooled, uncovered, and chilled, covered.
  
  While soup is simmering, peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch
  pieces. In a steamer set over boiling water steam potatoes, covered,
  until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir potatoes, scallions, and salt
  and pepper to taste into soup.
  
  Serve soup garnished with scallion greens.
  
  Makes about 8 cups, serving 4
  
  Gourmet December 1995