Spicy Black Bean Soup

Modified from NYTimes.

Serves: 3-4 people (or more if enjoyed as a smaller side dish)

Time: 30 minutes

Vibe: Warming and flavorful

Ingredients:

• (1) 29 oz can undrained black beans, or even more digestible 3-4 cups Spicy Black Beans from local runner and author Elyse Kopecky’s Run Fast, Eat Slow cookbook

• 1 jar (roughly 16 oz) mild salsa verde or 3 1/2 cups homemade

• 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil

• 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/2 large or 1 small onion, diced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1-2 carrots, diced

• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced or sliced (or more if you’d like more spice/ less if you’re feeding sensitive palates. You could also skip altogether and add Sakari Farms hot sauce to taste upon serving)

• Salt to taste

  Optional Add-Ins & Toppings:

  • Broth (we made Classic Chicken Bone Broth, also from the same cookbook mentioned above, after roasting the most delicious chicken from Wild Grown Farm). We just added a splash - depends on how thin or thick you’d like your soup.

  • Roasted winter squash or sweet potatoes

  • Sliced radishes

  • Cilantro

  • Microgreens (or just go with radish & cilantro microgreeens?)

  • Plain yogurt or sour cream

  • Avocado slices or guacamole

  • Tortilla chips

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, heat oil and then add onions and garlic to cook for a few minutes, followed by carrots, jalapeño, cocoa powder, and cumin until your kitchen is filled with aroma and the veggies are all slightly softened.

2. Add the beans and salsa. If you’re using homemade beans that don’t have much liquid, add a cup or so of broth (or water). If using canned, don’t drain the beans. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, so that the beans don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Your soup is ready when the beans flatten easily when you smash them against the side of the pot.

3. Use an immersion blender or a potato masher to smash some of the beans to thicken the soup. The soup will also thicken as it sits, so add some broth to your liking if you don’t want a thick soup.

4. Taste! You might need to add salt TBD beans, salsa and broth saltiness. If it’s too salty, add some water to thin it out.

5. Enjoy with the toppings of your choice! Add broth when heating up leftovers as the soup will thicken as it sits.