Spicy Black Bean Soup

By kelsa94

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried black beans, picked over, soaked 2 large yellow onions, diced small
• 2 jalapenos, minced
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 3/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
• Diced avocado, diced onion, cilantro, low-fat plain yogurt, and tortilla strips, for serving (optional)

Details

Servings 1
Preparation time 25mins
Cooking time 25mins
Adapted from marthastewart.com

Preparation

Step 1

*Make this weeknight dinner in a flash: Use 3 cans (15.5 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained, along with 3 cups water, and start with step 2. For a crunchy topping, cut corn tortillas into strips, toss with a little oil, then bake at 350 degrees until crisp

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium saucepan, cover beans with cold water by 2 inches. Add one quarter each of onions and jalapenos and bring to a boil over high. Reduce to a rapid simmer; cook until beans are tender, 45 to 50 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer 1 1/2 cups bean mixture to an airtight container. Let cool, then refrigerate, and save for Mushroom and Black Bean Tortilla Casserole.

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add garlic and remaining onions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until onions are soft and golden brown, 10 minutes. Stir in remaining jalapenos, cumin, beans and their cooking liquid, and broth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until beans are soft, 20 minutes (if necessary, add up to 1 cup water to keep beans covered).

Transfer 2 cups soup to a blender and add cornstarch. Puree until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return to pot. Cook, stirring, until soup thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Add lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, top with avocado, diced onion, cilantro, yogurt, and tortilla strips if desired.

Cook's Notes
Instead of soaking dried beans overnight, cover them with cold water by 2 inches in a pot; bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit 1 hour. Freeze leftover soup up to a month.