We’re in town for a few days to see my parents and visit with Em, and I wanted to make a quick, healthy bean soup for lunch. I checked the larder and found a few cans of black beans, so I made this very quick, easy soup–it’s basically the recipe for my refried beans thinned out with a bit with broth–and it is SOOOOOOOO delicious. You’d never guess it takes about fifteen or twenty minutes to make! Indeed, I popped a couple of baguettes in the oven and then started the soup. By the time the baguettes were baked (22 minutes), the soup was ready to eat!

Quick Black Bean Soup

1/2 large onion, chopped finely

4 cloves garlic

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried chili peppers

2 drained and rinsed cans of black beans

3 cups vegetable broth

Spray a pan with oil and brown the onions for about five minutes (until transparent); add garlic and spices and brown for another minute or two. Add the beans and broth. Once everything is warmed through, use an immersion blender to blend soup to desired consistency.

Serve with a big dollop of guacamole (if you have it) or salsa on top and a fresh baguette on the side.

I served it up to Emily who said she wasn’t sure whether she liked black bean soup when I initially offered it to her. She pronounced it delicious, however, and I told her I’d post the recipe, so she could make it whenever she wanted a quick, healthy (and delicious!) meal!

You can also make this with dried black beans, but you’ll need to pre-soak the beans and cook the soup for quite awhile longer.