South American Black Bean Soup

By Hklbrries

This slow-cooker soup is to die for. The original recipe calls for bacon and chicken stock but to make it vegetarian, I omitted the bacon, substituted vegetable stock for the chicken stock and used olive oil to saute the vegetables.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp dried oregano leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cracked black peppercorns
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 4 (19 ounces each) cans black beans, rinsed and drained, or 4 cups dried black beans, cooked and drained
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• Finely chopped cilantro
• Sour cream, optional
• Salsa, optional

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions, celery and carrots. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, cumin seeds, oregano, salt, pepper and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir to combine thoroughly. Transfer contents of pan to slow cooker stoneware. Add stock and beans and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours. Before serving, stir in lime juice. In blender or food processor, puree soup in batches. Spoon into individual soup bowls and garnish with cilantro and/or sour cream and salsa, if using.