Soup - Judy's Black Bean

Recipe Inspiration Source:  Epicurious

Judy made this for JC and I during a visit to the mountains.  Even though JC claims to not care for black beans, he loved this and has changed his mind about the whole black bean thing.  I love black beans and could have eaten this soup 'til I popped.  

This is from the first time I made it.  Just as Judy claimed, it was super simple.
And, oh my, sooooo good!  This recipe is a definite keeper!

The original recipe on Epicurious includes a few things I don't eat - olive oil, chicken broth, feta cheese.  Those were easy to skip or replace.  These directions reflect my preferences.  Also, canned ingredients are easy, but my sensitive stomach does better with fresh tomatoes than with canned.  As for the beans, sometimes I use canned, sometimes I cook from dried.


Sauté onion, carrot, and garlic until vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes.

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

garlic - 4 cloves, chopped

Mix in cumin and 1 teaspoon jalapeño.

jalapeño chile with seeds - 1 to 2 teaspoons chopped , divided

cumin - 2 teaspoons ground

Cumin tip I plan to try sometime:  More intense and nuanced flavor can be enjoyed by lightly roasting whole cumin seeds and then grinding the seeds in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.

Add beans, tomatoes, and broth; bring soup to boil.

black beans - equivalent of two cans, undrained 

tomatoes, diced - equivalent of one can petite diced tomatoes in juice

broth - 1 1/2 cups

Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.
Transfer 3 cups of soup to blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to pot.
Simmer soup until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
Season to taste with salt, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon jalapeño, if desired.

Ladle soup into bowls. Top with cilantro and green onions.

cilantro - Chopped fresh 

green onions - Chopped 

CUMIN INFO

This recipe reminded me how much I enjoy the taste and smell of cumin.  Even better, cumins good for you!  It's mostly known as a digestive aid, but there are other benefits as well.