Do you love soup? Hot soup? Do you eat it all year? Even in the summer? I do. My family thinks I'm crazy, making hot soups on hot summer days, but I usually cook everything in the morning, while the air is still cool, and warm it back up on the stove at dinnertime. And this soup is so easy and quick that it will hardly heat up your whole kitchen.
I know there are lots of black bean soup recipes out there but for some reason I always come back to this one. Maybe it's because I usually have a zucchini laying around, and a 1/2 of a red pepper in the produce drawer, and an extra tomato ripening on the counter, and I somehow have all the ingredients I need to make it when I want to make it. I usually have a few sweet potatoes in a basket, too, ready for spicy sweet potato fries (which I happen to love with black bean soup).
Black Bean Soup
Adapted from Vegan Lunch Box
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
3-1/2 cups cooked black beans
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and a bit of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened and is beginning to brown, about 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and cumin. Stir briefly, about 30 seconds, then add the zucchini, tomato, 1-1/2 cups water, oregano, and salt. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer, covered, until the zucchini is tender.
Measure out 1 cup of the black beans and set them aside. Put the rest of the beans into the saucepan. Using an immersion blender (or transfer the mixture to a blender), puree until thick, smooth, and creamy. Turn to medium-low heat, and add the whole beans. Cook, stirring, until warmed through. Add a bit more water if the soup is too thick for your taste. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with chopped red onions, slices of avocado, and splashes of hot sauce (this is my favorite one {no sugar or yucky ingredients}), if desired.
Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced lengthwise into strips
2 tblsp. olive oil
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions:
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss sweet potatoes with oil and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with spices. Bake for 25 minutes or until crisp on the edges, turning once or twice during baking.
