This is a hearty, healthy soup with loads of flavour and fibre.

Hey there,

Fall’s just around the corner, and for me that means the start of the best season for food, sweaters and nesting. Nothing says comfort more than a great bowl of soup. It’s fast to make, healthy and is always a little bit better the next day. This black bean soup recipe checks all the boxes and is so accommodating to variations and additions. Give it a try and make your own version.

Adios,

Lisa

Hearty Black Bean Soup

Ingredients
1 yellow onion finely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic minced
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil
2-3 tablespoons of fresh cilantro (plus more for topping)
1/2 – 1 teaspoon each of: cumin, smoked paprika, ancho chili powder, chipotle powder, crushed chilis, sea salt
3 tablespoons of frozen orange juice concentrate or 6 tablespoons of orange juice
1 red pepper chopped
2 cans of black beans rinsed
750 ml – 1 litre of vegetable or chicken stock

Toppings (optional)
sour cream
avocado
cilantro
jalapeno peppers
pickled jalapeno peppers

Directions:

Using a medium sized pot, put all the spices in the bottom of the pan and turn the temperature to medium high. Toast the spices, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. They will release a bit of aroma and smoke. They should NOT burn. Remove the pot from the heat and add the oil to the pan. Stir the oil with the toasted spices. Return to the stove, set the temperature to low and add the onions and garlic.

Cook the onions and garlic until they are soft and translucent. Add the peppers and cilantro. Cook for a few more minutes. Add the orange juice and stir. Add the beans and the stock. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Using a hand blender, emulsify some of the soup leaving some of the black beans still intact.

Ladle and top with sour cream, cilantro, jalapenos and avocado!

Eat with fresh bread, biscuits or cornbread.