Hearty Black Bean Soup

I love black beans, and it's still cold enough here in Georgia to justify my cravings for nice, hot, steaming bowls of soup. Heck - we even have snow on the ground, lingering after the storm that dumped 6 inches on our little town over the weekend! This is exciting for those of us who only see a light dusting once a year or so!

So I wanted a hearty, chunky black bean soup to warm us up. Forget all of your wimpy pureed soups - this soup is thick, filling, and delicious! Here is what I came up with!

Hearty Black Bean Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 15-ounce cans black beans
2 15-ounce cans of water
2 shakes of your favorite hot sauce
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 chicken bouillon cube or seasoning packet
Finely minced red onion, for garnish
Sliced avocado, for garnish
Sprigs of cilantro, for garnish

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and peppers. Stir and allow the veggies to cook until the onions are translucent and the peppers become slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes. Next, add the beans, the water (use the bean-cans to measure), cumin, oregano, lime juice, salt, pepper, and bouillon. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Allow the soup to simmer for about 1 hour, uncovered, until reduced and thickened. Serve hot with garnishes of your choice.

This recipe can be easily converted to a crock pot. Simply measure all ingredients into the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Note: To make this recipe vegetarian, omit the chicken bouillon cube and the water. Substitute with 2 15-ounce cans of vegetable broth.