Prepare veggies and sauté in a small amount of olive/veggie oil until slightly soft. Add the chicken broth and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add the drained and rinsed beans, sausage and cooking sherry. Cook for another 5 -8 minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a crusty bread (You can mash a few of the beans to thicken the soup) (You can add more or less broth depending on how soupy you like it )