Smoky Black Bean Soup

Look who cooked dinner for me a couple of nights ago? My awesome husband, Jared! He made his amazing black bean soup, adapted from a recipe on foodnetwork.com. It is a Southwestern-style soup that we garnish with sour cream, cheddar cheese and scallions.

 
*Note: with most soup recipes I like to make extra for leftovers but the garlic and onion get pretty strong as this one sits. The recipe serves 3-4, so only double it if you have a crowd to feed!

Smoky Black Bean Soup

printable recipe

5 slices bacon
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 cup chicken broth or stock
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies (like Rotel)
1 Tbsp ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Tbsp chili powder
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a handful of cilantro
1 Tbsp lime juice
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated cheddar, for garnish

Chop the bacon.

At this point, your dog will run over to see what that amazing smell is. Or maybe that is just our dog.

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes.

Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute.

Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely.

Stir cilantro into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. Cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice.

Serve with the garnishes.