Black Bean Soup

I developed a taste for black bean soup late in life. As a girl I would not touch beans swearing that kidney beans looked just like thumbs and totally dismissed all beans as disgusting. When I lived for a year in New Haven, CT and discovered Atticus Bookstore Cafe up the street from my apartment I became enchanted by black bean soup. They served a hearty black bean soup with fresh pieces of white bread with sides of butter and jam. YUMMMMM.

Ever since then I have been recreating my own version here at home making a different variation each time. However, I keep the basic ingredients the same chicken broth, rich black beans, onions, and carrots. From that foundation I build and make  a rich hearty soup. But the great part of it is that its 1) a healthy source of protein,  2) low calorie, 3) can easily be made vegetarian with the use of vegetable broth, and 4) can be made more hearty with the addition of meat.

Black Bean Soup

* Goya canned Black Beans (1-29 ounce can & 2- 15.5 ounce cans)
* 32 ounces of chicken broth (can also do half chicken/vegetable or all vegetable broth)
* Olive Oil
* Half a large onion diced
* 1-2 Diced carrots
* Garlic
* Smoked Paprika
* Chili Powder
* Ground White Pepper
* Kosher Salt
* Fresh Chopped Cilantro
* Southwestern Salsa

Other great additions that work well with this soup:
* Andouille Sausage
* Shredded cooked chicken breast
* Tomatoes (fresh or canned)
* Corn (fresh or canned)


Directions

• Heat about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in large soup pot or dutch oven. Add in onions, garlic, and carrots. Cook until onion slightly translucent.
• Add in paprika and chili powder to taste. Cook 1-2 minutes more.
• Add in chicken broth and beans (undrained).  Cook for 10-15 minutes.
• Add in salsa (if adding tomatoes and corn add in now), salt, and pepper. Cook 1-2 minutes.
• Take half of beans from pot and process in food processor to puree. Add back into soup and cook for 10-15 minutes more. (Additionally I take a potato masher and mash some of the beans in the pot as well. If doing so would also add in meat at this time).
• Taste and add additional seasoning if necessary. 
• Add in hopped cilantro.
• Serve with sour cream or shredded mexican cheese topping.

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Also in an effort to give more info on my photography here is some information on the pictures in this post.

Photo 1 : Taken with 50mm, f/2.5, 1/80 sec

Photo 2 : Taken with 50mm, f/2.5, 1/100 sec

Both photos were taken in RAW format and edited in Lightroom where they were adjusted for white balance, sharpness, contrast, and given a color boost.