I had this black bean soup for the first time at my friend Rose’s place a while back. I was expecting something thick and heavy when I heard she was making Black Bean Soup, but this soup is surprisingly light and thin. With some chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream, this variation of black bean soup was outstanding.

Black Bean Soup:
Adapted from Once Upon a Chef with some modifications by Rose
Servings: About 6
Total Time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, crushed and peeled or 1 tablespoon jarred crushed garlic (I use Trader Joe’s)
• 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 large celery stalks, roughly chopped
• 3 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth (more if you want a thinner soup) or vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• Handful chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:

• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pan. Add onions, garlic cloves, carrots, celery, oregano, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are soft and translucent and fragrant – about 8 minutes. Do not brown.
• Stir in black beans and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes.
• Using a hand-held immersion blender, purée the soup until very smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, you can use a standard blender to puree the soup in batches; see note.) Stir in the limejuice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each bowl with a dollop of sour cream and freshly chopped cilantro.
• Note: If using a standard blender, purée the soup in batches, being careful not to fill the jar more than halfway. Be sure to leave the hole in the lid open and loosely cover with a dishtowel to allow the heat to escape. Pour the blended soup into a clean pot.

Rose served the soup with some of her homemade corn bread, but you can serve it with a Mexican salad, quesadillas, or with a side of tacos.