Spicy Black Bean Soup

Since I have dicovered the mystery behind the bagged dried beans at my grocery store I have been making beans non stop. I am telling you, if you are still buying canned beans, STOP! Next time you go to the store give those bagged beans a try. You get so much more food for your dollar. Not to mention that you can season the water with whatever you like and give your beans a whole new flavor every time you make them. I have not bought canned beans in months and I have been using the same bagged beans for a couple of months now. I cannot praise the bagged beans enough, they really have saved me a ton of money. With that being said I decided to make a dinner with the ingredients I had in the house instead of running to the store to buy something for dinner. I soaked my beans for about 5 hours and then went to work measuring and tossing in spices as I went. The end result was a spicy hearty soup that I am glad came out good. I am not one for just throwing together a meal without having a background idea of what I am doing but I am glad I did.

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 qt vegetable stock
• 2 c. dried black beans
• 2 c. water
• 1/2 - 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1/4 tsp. coriander
• 1/4 tsp. celery seed
• 1/4 c. cor
• cheddar cheese, grated (optional for garnish)
• sour cream (optional for garnish)

1. Soak beans according to package. Rinse and set aside.
2. In a large pot over medium heat saute onion and garlic until translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients including the beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cover. Allow to cook at least 2 hours to allow the beans time to cook.

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My Meatless Mondays
Tasty Tuesday