Categories: Soups

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups black beans (dry beans that have been soaked overnight) You can also use 3 cans (14 oz) of black beans instead of dry beans. The advantage of dry beans over canned is the significant reduction in sodium.
• Enough water or vegetable broth to cover the beans
• 1-2 Tbsp olive or canola oil
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 red pepper, diced finely
• 1/2 green pepper, diced finely
• 2 carrots, rinsed, peeled, and diced
• 1 (28 oz) can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp of cumin
• 1/2 tsp of cardamom
• 1/2 tsp of coriander
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• 1 tsp of paprika
• Garnish with: chopped scallions, fresh cilantro, freshly diced peppers, tomatoes, avocado or guacamole, low-fat sour cream, pepper jack cheese

Directions

1. After the beans have thoroughly soaked overnight in a pan of water, drain and place beans in a pot with enough water or broth to cover the beans and so that it comes 1/2 inch above the beans. Bring to a boil.

2. Once the beans are boiling, reduce the heat and cook beans until soft/tender. Cooking times can vary….it takes a good 40-60 minutes to get them very soft. Stir every 5-10 minutes. You may need to add a bit more water or vegetable broth so that the beans do not stick to the bottom of the pot.

3. At this point (after 1 hour), test the tenderness of the beans and if they are not easily falling apart, you have a couple of options: 1) allow them to cook longer and then place 1 cup of the beans into a food processor or use an immersion hand mixer to puree the beans. 2) if you are feeling frustrated and very hungry, make yourself a sandwich and then start over with 3 cans of black beans.

4. In a separate frying pan, saute the onion and garlic on medium heat until fragrant and slightly browned.

5. Add the carrots and peppers to the onions and garlic and cook until tender.

6. Add the crushed tomatoes to the pot with the beans, then add the contents of the frying pan to the bean pot (onions, garlic, peppers, and carrot).

7. Cook on medium/low heat for an additional 30 minutes until all the ingredients and flavors have blended together.

8. Now, add the spices and salt and pepper. You may need to add a little bit more water or broth depending on the consistency of the soup at this point and your own preference. Cook for a few more minutes.

9. Serve with some tasty garnishes like…chopped scallions, fresh cilantro, freshly diced peppers, tomatoes, avocado or guacamole, low-fat sour cream, pepper jack cheese.

Email to a friend | Print this recipe | Back