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I love black bean soup – any time of year.  But I tend to make more of it in the winter because Chicago gets cold and there’s nothing quite like soup to get the chill out of your bones.  Black bean soup has so many benefits:  it’s healthy, it’s inexpensive, and tasty!

This recipe is one my mom makes.  Being German, we tend to like things on the milder side, but feel free to add chilies or jalapeños to increase the “heat”.   It’s really tasty so you won’t need to add cheese or sour cream for the flavor to deliver.

I serve this soup with a salad and crusty whole grain bread.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Directions:

Heat oil in a heavy soup pot.  Saute’ onion, celery, carrots over medium low heat for 5 minutes in a pot with the cover on.  Add bay leaves, thyme, cumin, black pepper and oregano to the mixture.  Add tomato paste chicken broth to the pot.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add sorted and rinsed black beans to the pot.  Simmer in the covered pot for 3 hours or until beans are soft.  Allow soup to cool slightly.  Remove bay leaf and puree soup with an immersion blender, or add in small quantities to a blender (careful with hot soup not to add to much to the blender).  Add lime juice and cayenne.  Adjust the seasonings.

Top your soup with a variety of toppings including salsa, fresh tomatoes, avocado, and lots of cilantro.  And enjoy!