Spicy Black Bean Soup

Last Friday, I stayed home sick, but even worse, I had completely bare cupboards. You know your cupboards are bare when you think to yourself, 'I wonder what peanut butter would taste like on pasta?' - trying to make a meal out of the few things you actually do have. But instead of going down that path, I waited. Worked a little, rested a little, etc. Joe said he'd come over and help make dinner after work, so I was watching the clock like a hawk.

Now the question was, what should we have? What tastes best when you're under the weather and the snow won't stop falling outside? Soup. It's a no-brainer. With that in mind, I scoured Martha for a tasty-looking soup and landed on the Spicy Black Bean Soup. I've had bland black bean soups before, so I knew we'd have to keep in the zing (spicy, but not overwhelming) and add some flavor - like avocados, ham, sour cream and cilantro - all of which, make me want to file away this recipe for another wintery day. Yum!

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(Note: The online recipe is very different than the cookbook, so I updated based on how we made it. Use the cookbook, if you have it.)

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

3 cans of black beans, drained
3 cups of water (more to taste, consistency preference)
1 medium red onion, diced small
1-2 jalapenos, minced (keep in the seeds! gives a good zing)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (or vegetable oil)
4 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (I didn't add this, but I would imagine it would be good?)
Diced avocado, cilantro, low-fat sour cream, ham, and tortilla chips, for serving (optional, but required if you want it to taste the best it can be!)

Directions

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add garlic and onions; season with salt and pepper (or just pepper) Cook, stirring often, until onions are soft and golden brown. Stir in jalapenos, cumin, and stir for a few more minutes. Add beans and water. Season with salt and pepper (or just pepper). Bring to a simmer and cook until beans are soft, like 10 minutes or so.

Transfer 2 cups soup at a time into a blender and puree until smooth (keep the hole on your blender open, covering with only a dish towel - the heat can create a mess if air can't be released). Place in large bowl. Continue to blend the remainder of the soup based on your preference in consistency. (We liked it all pureed.) To serve, top with avocado, cilantro, low-fat sour cream, ham (slightly browned on each side) and tortilla chips, if desired.