Black Bean Soup

I made this recipe the other day when I was home with sick kids.  I was kind of going stir crazy from being stuck at home for three days straight so I unwound by trying a bunch of new recipes.  My picky hubby loved them all...I consider it safe to share a recipe if he approves of it:).

Black Bean Soup

Makes 6-1 cup servings

155 calories per cup 

 

Image from Bonappetit

3 cups black beans

 (I used dry ones that I had made earlier and had stored in the freezer. 

I am sure canned would work just fine.)

1 TBSP Olive Oil

1 Med Onion chopped

1 Bell Pepper, chopped

 (any color, I used green)

2 stalks celery, chopped

Saute the onion, pepper and celery in a large pot until soft and onion starts to brown.

Add the following and simmer on low for 1-1.5 hours-

1 Jalapeno Pepper

(I removed all the seeds and rims and it wasn't spicy at all)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBSP cumin

8 cups water

2 Boullion Cubes 

 (Veggie or Chicken.  If you opt to use stock, reduce the amount of water you use)

1 Bay Leaf

Salt to taste

Puree half the soup in a blender once it is done simmering and add back to the rest of the soup.  Serve with a little avocado or Greek yogurt. Or throw a few tablespoons of salsa in there to spice it up...yum!

Notes-

I didn't have any bay leaves so I left them out. I did add some cinnamon and nutmeg to make the soup a little more interesting. I was pleased with the result but I don't know how much I ended up using...sorry.

I will be sharing the other recipes soon!