Black Bean Soup

I made this for dinner tonight and we really liked it when served with tortilla chips. We kind of ate it like a dip. I think I'd also consider serving it topped with shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

Black Bean Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 small green pepper, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
4 1/2 cups cooked black beans (or 3 cans, drained and rinsed)
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp groud cayenne
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions:

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, carrots, bell pepper, and garlic until tender. Add broth, beans, thyme, salt, and cayenne. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the soup has thickened, about 45 minutes.

Puree soup in the pot with an immersion blender or in a blender or food processor, in batches if necessary, and return to the pot. Reheat if necessary.

Ladle soup in bowls and garnish with parsley.

The original recipe says to serve 1/3 cup dry sherry on the side and add a splash to each bowl, if desired. Needless to say, we didn't do that. lol