Italian-Style Black Bean Soup

By myoung

You'll need a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker for this full-bodied soup. Serve it with your choice of garnishes and a simple salad of mixed greens for a satisfying lunch or dinner. On Phase 2, enjoy it with some whole-grain Italian bread.

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried black beans
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium red bell peppers, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups lower-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Lime wedges, chopped fresh cilantro, diced red onion, diced avocado, and/or reduced-fat sour cream, for garnish

Details

Cooking time 25mins

Preparation

Step 1

Place the beans in a large bowl. Cover with water and soak for at least 6 hours or overnight. Drain.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers, onion, and celery and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.

Add garlic, cumin, red pepper flakes, and salt and black pepper to taste. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and remove from the heat.

In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the beans, bay leaves, baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Pour the vegetable mixture over the beans. Cover and cook over high heat for about 15 hours, or until the beans are creamy. )Or cook for 8 hours on low heat.)

Discard the bay leaves. Ladle about 1 1/2 cups of the soup into a food processor or blender (or use an immersion blender and a large bowl) and process until smooth. Return to the slow cooker and stir in the lime juice. Serve hot with your favorite garnishes.