No-Soak Black Bean Soup
- Yield: 8 servings
'This recipe is particularly easy, because you can use dried beans without soaking them. Slow cooker dinners are perfect for family gatherings. Plop the ingredients in the cooker right after breakfast, and don't worry the rest of the day about 'What am I going to take to Aunt Holly's house tonight?''
Ingredients
- 1tablespoon olive oil
- 1medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1medium green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 7-- garlic cloves, minced
- 1pound dried black beans, rinsed and drained
- 5cups water
- 3cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
- 2-- (4-ounce) cans chopped green chilies, undrained
- 1tablespoon ground cumin
- 1teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1teaspoon salt
- 1/2teaspoon black pepper
- 2-- dried bay leaves
- 1/2cup sour cream
- 1/2medium red bell
- -- pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2medium white onion, finely chopped
- 1/4cup finely chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a 5-quart slow cooker and turn it to the highest setting. Stir in yellow onion and cook 5 minutes. Add green bell pepper, garlic, beans, water, vegetable broth, chilies, cumin, thyme, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Cover and cook on high at least 8 hours.
- Remove bay leaves. Before serving, blend with a hand mixer or hand-held submersible blender until the mixture is thick, with beans, onion and peppers visible.
- Ladle into soup bowls and top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 teaspoon each red bell pepper and white onion. Sprinkle with cilantro.
Recipe by Kimberly Hammond, Kingwood, TX
