Black Bean Soup

This weekend the weather forcasters are calling for snow up and down the East Coast. I avoided the instinct to rush to the store only to be stuck in traffic, lines, and anxious DC transplants who have never seen snow before. I took stock of what was in my cubbord and decided that a big pot of zesty black bean soup was in order. Here is my favorite recipe: (adopted from CookThink)

vegetable oil
1/2 of a red onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups low-sodium broth
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Prep the ingredients.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.
When it is hot and shimmering, add the onion, carrot, celery and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft but not brown, 8-10 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, cumin and red pepper flakes and cook the mixture for a minute or so, until the garlic becomes aromatic.
Add the beans and stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the beans are soft, 10-15 minutes.
Ladle half the soup into a blender and purée, then stir the purée back into the soup - this thickens it up nicely!
Take the soup off the heat and stir in the yogurt and cilantro.
Serve with totilla chips and other fun fiesta foods!


Yum Yum Yummy! Enjoy!