Black Bean Soup

Feeling under the weather the other day, I decided I wanted to make soup. Not being a huge fan of chicken noodle, I decided to try to recreate a black bean soup I've had at restaurants before. This was supremely easy and so delicious! The original recipe says don't drain the beans, but I don't enjoy the starchy liquid they come in so I just added more chicken stock to make up for it. It was just what the nurse ordered!

Black Bean Soup
Adapted from epicurious.com

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
1-2 tsp chopped jalepeno (if desired)
2 15-16 oz cans black beans, drained
1 15 oz can petite dices tomatoes, in juice
2 c low-sodium chicken broth (or veggie stock, if you prefer)
Toppings: sour cream, cilantro, feta or other cheese

Directions

Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic. Saute until veggies soften, about 6 minutes. Mix in cumin and jalepeno (if desired). Add beans, tomatoes with juice and broth; bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until carrots are tender; about 15 minutes. Transfer soup to blender or food processor and puree until smooth. (If you like your soup to have more texture, don't transfer all of it, just some). Return to pot and simmer until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper and jalepeno, if desired. Top with your favorite sides and enjoy!