This is one of my favorite soup recipes. Even though it is technically a soup, my kids and I refer to this to our Favorite BEAN DIP. I make the recipe extra thick, so when you blend all of the ingredients together, it is thick like a bean dip. We still eat this as a soup but I love it as a left-over. We dip chips in it the next day, we combine it with some cilantro lime quinoa and put it over a bed a greens. It actually isn’t bad to eat COLD. It is super versatile. This is one of those dinner creations that actually look better during the making process then when it is complete. It’s hard to make this soup look pretty, let’s just say that! But when making it, it is gorgeous! Hope you enjoy!
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Creamy Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
2 14 oz cans black beans (with juices- do not rinse and drain)
(I used 1 plain black bean and one cuban style)
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup dry lentils
1 (28 oz) can peeled and diced tomatoes (you can add more tomatoes if you want it less thick)
2 teaspoons chili powder (mild for the kids)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 TBS red wine vinegar
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup uncooked rice (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Place all the ingredients (except for the rice) into a large pot and slowly bring to a boil. Let boil for a good 10 minutes, then turn to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 45 min to 1 hour. Stirring occaionally. Cook until the lentils are soft. Optional: Add the 1/2 cup white rice and cover and cook for an additional 20 minutes until rice is cooked.
2. Puree about half of the soup with a blender or food processor, then pour back into the pot before serving. I usually puree most of the soup to make it more like a dip.
Source: WFM 1-10