Smokey Black Bean Soup

 Smokey Black Bean Soup 

Cook's notes: While you can never have too many cookie recipes, the same could also be said of soup. It's the perfect course for any meal. We all have our favorites, and one of mine is an Ever Ready Special Smokey Black Bean Soup with a Southwestern flair. 

This soup has some ingredients that you might not normally think would be in a soup, but trust me, it works. It has the right amount of smokiness with the coffee and a kick with several spices. I used Italian sausage, but bacon or chicken works well, too. Need a vegetarian meal? No problem omit meat, and substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth. Prep the vegetables ahead for easier assembly. The recipe called for 2 cans of black beans, but I found 1 can to be enough for my taste.
Top your soup with shredded cheese, diced avocados, and tortilla chips thrown in for good measure.
The recipe makes 6 servings, depending on the size of the bowl. I was inspired by Real Food Fall 2017 publication by Lunds & Byerlys.
Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Italian sausage or chicken or 8 slices of bacon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup each diced carrots, onions, celery
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon each of sugar, cumin, and smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons each of dark balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes (basil and garlic)
• 1 box (32 oz.) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup brewed coffee
• 1-2 cans (15 oz.) black beans rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons each of cornstarch and water
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Directions:

• Cook meat, crumble, and set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a soup pot. Saute onions, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute 2 minutes more. Cover and sweat vegetables on low heat for 5 minutes.
• Uncover and stir in red pepper flakes, sugar, cumin, paprika, and tomato paste. Whisk to mix well. Add balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, diced tomatoes, broth, coffee, and beans. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Mix cornstarch with water, add to soup mixture, and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in lime juice right before serving.