Herbed Black Bean Soup

By bakers_delight85

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried black beans
• 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1/2 cup each chopped green, sweet red, and yellow peppers
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup no-salt-added tomato paste
• 3 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp. minced fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 3/4 tsp. salt-free seasoning blend
• 3 bay leaves

Preparation

Step 1

Place beans in a Dutch oven or soup kettle; add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1 to 4 hours or until beans are softened. Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid. Return beans to pan; add broth and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour or until beans are almost tender. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the onions, celery, carrot, peppers and garlic in oil until tender. Add the tomato paste, herbs and seasonings to the bean mixture. Add the sauteed vegetables; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour or until beans are tender. Discard bay leaves.