Spicy Black Bean Soup

By MooK

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red or orange bell pepper, cored and chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• half a jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 2 (15 oz.) cans black beans
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. chipotle powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• optional garnish: sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped bell peppers, shredded cheese, crumbled tortilla chips, diced avocados

Preparation

Step 1

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add bell pepper, carrot, garlic and jalapeno, and continue cooking another 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add remaining eight ingredients (chicken broth through cayenne), and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and let soup simmer for at least 10 minutes.

You can either serve this soup as is, or use an immersion blender or a traditional blender (blending in small batches) to puree the soup. Serve warm, and garnish with suggested ingredients if desired.