Black Bean Soup

Vegan Black Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup has always been one of my favourite one-pot-meals. There are so many variations of this global staple, but my number one flavour combo is when black beans are combined with exotic spices and a little heat, creating a sumptuous union. Now, this soup does take a while to complete, though the prep is minimal. It’s perfect for making on a Saturday morning while you do some things around your house and when you’re done, the soup is done. You will see pumpkin pie spice blend on the ingredients list (kinda weird, I know) as it happened to have all the sweet, fragrant spicing I was looking for in one package. And lastly, this soup is cheap! It couldn’t have cost more than $6 to make with the beans ringing in at $2.16.

Ingredients: (Makes at least 6 servings)

2 cups dried black beans that have been soaked in 4 cups water for 2-4 hours

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (which is just a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, ginger & nutmeg)

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 small red pepper, diced

1 carrot, grated

2 stalks celery, finely diced

8 cups water

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 handfuls of baby spinach

Garnishes:

chopped fresh cilantro

diced tomato

sliced green onion

Method:

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil on medium and add diced onion. Then add cumin, chipotle chili powder, pumpkin pie spice, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and dried basil. Stir and let all the fragrant spices meld together. Now add celery, carrot, and diced red pepper. Saute for a few more minutes and then add the soaked black beans which have been drained, and 8 cups of water. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer at medium-low for 1 1/2-2 hours.

When the soup is dark and thick, and the beans are soft (almost mushy) it’s done! Turn off the heat and stir in apple cider vinegar and baby spinach, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let soup cool a bit. The flavours are much more prominent when it’s warm, not piping hot. Garnish with fresh tomato, cilantro and green onions.

~The Vegan Project