Bean and Sausage Soup

1 T butter or margarine
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 pkg. farmer sausage, cut up

8 cups chicken broth

4 potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 cup pinto or navy beans (I use dried beans that I have previously cooked and frozen, but 1 can of drained beans works well too)

1 bay leaf

pepper

Saute the onion and sausage in the butter until sausage is browned. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are cooked. Remove the bay leaf before serving.