2 cans black beans (or 4 cups cooked beans)
1/8 cup diced red onion
1 diced carrot
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup fresh green chilis or 1/8 cup diced jalapeno or banana peppers
1 Roma tomato – diced
1/4 cup diced green pepper
1 or 2 diced garlic cloves
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup corn or short grain brown rice
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp oregano
1 Tbs lime juice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Minced cilantro for garnish
Water as needed
This hearty soup is one of the fastest soups you can make, and really hits the spot any day of the year. If you can prep the black beans in advance to avoid using canned beans, more power to you. Otherwise, canned beans are the best bet if you are in a hurry and don’t have a pressure cooker or time to soak and cook beans for a day.
Drain one can of beans and puree in a blender to a smooth consistency, add a little water to help things along. In a heavy pan, saute onion in olive oil until softened. Add carrots, green pepper, celery, chilis/peppers, and garlic, stir and cook on medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add diced tomato and seasonings and continue to cook until tomato is soft. Add 2nd can of black beans with or without juice and add the pureed beans and stir.
Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes, add lime juice and small amounts of water as needed. If you add frozen corn, do so a few minutes before you are through cooking, or add cooked short grain brown rice to bowls just before serving. Top with cilantro, and voila! Crusty french bread, corn bread, or warm tortillas are great with this soup along with a simple green salad.
Serves 4 – Enjoy!
