Black Bean Soup

My photo woes continue, so I thought I'd just share a black bean soup recipe. It's not very photogenic anyway. I love this soup because it's spicy, freezes well and is a great way to use up sturdy vegetables. If you don't like spicy food, be sure to dial back the chili. Chili tends to intensify as it's cooked, and you can always add more.

*1 lb. black beans (rinsed and soaked in 4 qt. water overnight)--reserve 2 cups of this water
2 bay leaves

1.5 large onion, minced (try out different varieties)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chicken stock
1.5 tbsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder (adjust down if preferred)
1 tbsp molasses (or dark agave nectar)
4-5 tbsp lime juice

1 cup of any sturdy veggies, cut into bite size (I like sweet potatoes, carrots, acorn squash, or butternut squash)

Cook the beans in reserved water and bay leaves, 1.5 hour, covered. Add additional fresh water as needed. Beans should be fully cooked, but not falling apart. Remove bay leaves.

In large pot, sauté onion and garlic. I actually like to get mine pretty brown, but do what you like. Add in chicken stock and any veggies you're using. Simmer until veggies are softened. Add in beans, spices, molasses and lime juice. Simmer 20-30 minutes. Adjust the spices, add more lime juice if it's too sweet.

At this point, you can purée 1/2, you can add more stock to make it thinner, you can serve it up as is.

I like to dollop Greek yogurt and Tapatio on mine. (Sour cream isn't tart enough and Greek yogurt is packed with tons of good stuff). Sometimes we stir in some brown rice. A puts shredded chicken or pork in his. It also makes good leftovers, so we make it on Sunday and eat it for a few weeknight dinners.

*You can, of course, use canned beans. We just buy dry beans in bulk but to use canned beans try 2 cans. Be sure to check that they are unseasoned. You'd want to just play around with liquid amounts to get the texture you want.