Meatless Black Bean Soup

Not the most photogenic soup, so use your imagination.

The soup turned out so well it seems worth posting the recipe.

You Will Need:

4 tins black beans (or about 1 lb dry beans cooked until tender) rinsed and drained
4 tablespoons corn oil
3 large carrots, diced
1 large, sweet onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 bay leaves
1 large green bell pepper, diced
A handful of chopped celery leaves
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1-2 tablespoons ground Ancho chilies (or any you like)
Water to cover
1/4 cup malt vinegar stirred in at the end.

In a large stock pot heat the oil over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, bay leaves, bell pepper and celery leaves. Saute until vegetables have softened (about ten minutes) taking care not to burn the garlic. Mix together the cumin, coriander, and chili powder and add to the vegetables stirring well to coat them. Add the beans and stir again. Cook about 1 minute-just long enough for everything to be well coated in oil and spices. Add enough water to cover the beans by about 1-2 inches. Simmer with a lid half on the pot for several hours or until liquid is reduced by about half. With a potato masher (or a large wooden spoon) roughly mash the mixture. Black bean soup should still have some texture, though if you prefer a smooth soup you can puree it in batches in a food processor. This should thicken the soup quite a bit so watch it over the next several minutes. When you feel it is close to the thickness you desire, stir in the vinegar and cook another 10-15 minutes over low heat to combine the flavours. Some people will substitute lime juice for the vinegar, or milder vinegar like cider. I'll leave that up to you.

I served the soup with a bit of shredded cheddar, sour cream and scallions.

This recipe will make quite a bit of soup, but it keeps well, improving over a few days. It may also be frozen.