5.1 Southwest black bean soup

I tried to copy a store-made black bean soup that I liked. I think this is a solid soup.

Source: Going a bit from memory, a bit from a recipe that I don’t remember.

Ingredients

Spices

Tools

3 cans black beans

2 - 4 garlic cloves

Large frying pan

1 - 2 cans of corn

1 - 2 tablespoons ground cumin

Blender

1 - 2 cans diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
(e.g., ROTEL) and/or 1 can green chilies

2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

Knife

1 small red onion

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

Cutting board

Olive oil

1 teaspoon paprika

1 sweet red pepper

1 - 2 teaspoons coriander

1 - 2 cans chicken broth (optional)

1 bay leaf (optional)

1/2 cup jalapeno (optional)

Salt and black pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups brown rice (optional)

Preparation:

  1. Sautee any of the fresh ingredients (onion, peppers, bay leaf, etc) in a large frying pan.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for flavors to mix (~15 minutes minimum).
  3. Puree approximately 1/3 of the soup, then return it to the pot and stir it in.

Variations:

  • Add 3 tablespoons of fresh lime juice.
  • If including rice, add at time of consumption.

Notes:

  • No need to drain the black beans, it just adds a bit of juice to the soup.
  • You can blend one of the cans of beans (and some small amounts of other ingredients) independently, before adding them to the soup. I think the cooked beans blend better, though.