Chicken Sausage Bean Soup

I made this for the first time a couple months back and it is my husbands new favorite soup.  I used ideas from three different recipes, and made a soup with ingredients I already had.  The jalapeno sausage gives it a lot of flavor, while the tomatoes and peppers make it taste so fresh and light.  Really just a great combination for a soup.  Plenty of meat for the man but a light taste for the lady!

Ingredients
8-10 frozen chicken tenders
1-2 cubes bullion cubes
Paula Dean seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder)
2 Tbsp hidden valley ranch seasoning mix
Montreal steak seasoning
3 cloves fresh garlic (diced finely)
3 medium jalapeno peppers (seeded and diced)
4-6 Roma tomatoes
2 Tbsp butter
3 links Slovacek's jalapeno sausage (buy at SAMS)
2 cans white kidney beans
Parsley flakes
Oregano
 
Sour cream
Fresh minced cilantro
Shredded mexican cheese

Preparation
Boil chicken tenders in water with bullion cube, Paula Dean seasoning, ranch seasoning, and montreal steak season.

In meantime dice garlic, tomatoes, and jalapeno.  Slice sausage in quarter inch thick slices.

Once chicken is done, remove from pot and shred using two forks.  Remove any fatty pieces from chicken.  Pour off top of chicken broth leaving bottom remains of juice and seasoning in pot.  Then pour this into crock pot.  Add chicken to this and turn pot on low.

In skillet heat butter on medium heat.  Add garlic and jalapeno and cook until softened.  Place vegetables in crock pot.

Using same skillet cook sausage to desired brownness.  Pour onto tripled layers of paper towels to soak up grease.  Place in crock pot.

Add beans, tomatoes, parsley and oregeno to crock pot and stir all ingredients together.  Add more of the reserved chicken broth if necessary.

Cook on low heat about 3 hours.  Serve hot and top with sour cream, cilantro, and cheese if desired.  Serve with cornbread.