tasty tuesday ~ black bean soup w/cumin and jalapeño

Yes, I know it's Wednesday...just go with me here. Your going to like this recipe.

Every Friday during Lent, Our Parish hosts a Soup Supper where we gather as a community listen to someone speak on various topics of social justice all while eating the most delightful array of soups brought by those attending. Then we have Station of the Cross and Benediction. It has been difficult in the past to attend due to Courtney's needs but this year we have made a concerted effort to be there. 

I made this soup for the first Friday and it was a real hit. I quadrupled the recipe below and I did not have any leftovers. The soup is very dense and filling. I made it with vegetable broth to keep with the completely meatless Lenten meal. I love the little kick of alapeño which didn't overwhelm the soup at all. It hung back and just coated the tongue with a little heat. It was delish!

I also used my own black beans that I make ahead of time in the crockpot. I soak 3-5 pounds of dried black beans overnight in a bowl covering them with water to about 2" above the beans. I sprinkle a little salt in the bowl. The next day I rinse them and put them in my large crock pot  adding in a bulb of garlic, a quartered onion, a few carrots and two stalks of celery. I cover it with water to about 1" above the beans and cook for eight hours on low. Then I drain and rise the beans and package them, three cups at a time in quart freezer bags. This is equal to about 2 cans of black beans but much, much cheaper. You can do this with any kind of dried bean and saves some serious money. 

Black Bean Soup with Cumin and Jalapeño 

originally adapted from Bon Appétit / August 2004

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 to 2 teaspoons chopped jalapeño chile with seeds, divided

2 15- to 16-ounce cans black beans, undrained

1 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes in juice

1 1/2 cups low-salt vegetable broth

Chopped fresh cilantro

Chopped green onions

Crumbled feta cheese or sour cream

Directions:

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Mix in cumin and 1 teaspoon jalapeño. Add beans, tomatoes with juice, and broth; bring soup to boil. 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. Pass cilantro, green onions, and feta cheese or a dollop of sour cream separately.