Crock Pot Black Eyed Pea Soup

• 1 pound dried black eyed peas
• 1 pound spicy sausage (I used Aidells chicken habanero and green chile)
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (not pictured. I didn't know I needed it at first. But I did.)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Tabasco sauce (to add at the end to taste)

1. Soak your beans overnight. Drain and pick out the undesirables (broken, discolored beans) in the morning.
2. Use a 5 to 6 quart crockpot. This will serve about 8 people. Dice the veggies, and dump them into your crockpot with the pre-soaked beans. Add sliced sausage. Pour in broth, and stir in Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for about 6. Before serving, use a stick blender to smash up about 1 cup of beans. If you don't have a stick blender, scoop out 1 cup of beans, blend them in a traditional blender, and add back to the soup. Don't blend too much---just enough to get the broth thicker and creamy-looking.
4. Ladle into bowls, and add Tabasco sauce to taste.

Found On: A Year of CrockPotting