Black Bean Soup

I have a terrible cold and wanted to make something for dinner that was simple but tasty. My entire family loved this tasty & comforting black bean soup. It was quick and easy to make and tasted so delicious. Don’t leave out the cilantro–it really made this soup complete.

Black Bean Soup:

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
• 5 cups of chicken broth OR vegetable broth
• 3 (14 oz) cans of black beans, rinsed & drained, (divided)
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1-2 tbsp cornstarch (combined with a bit of cold stock and mixed thoroughly), optional

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot add onion, bell pepper, and carrots, and saute until slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add the cumin, oregano, chili powder, and red pepper flakes along with the garlic and stir constantly for 1 minute.

Add the broth, half of the beans, and bay leaf, and season with sea salt & freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cook over medium-low heat for 1-2 hours.

Remove bay leaf, and blend using an immersion blender. Add the remainder of the beans and cornstarch slurry if you desire a thicker soup (make sure the soup is boiling when adding the cornstarch). Taste and re-season, as needed.

Other Ingredients:

• Cilantro, chopped
• Cotija cheese, shredded
• Sour cream
• Avocado, diced

Garnish the soup with chopped cilantro and shredded cotija cheese and serve with sour cream and avocado, if desired. Enjoy.

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