Tomato Black Bean Soup

Poor Tom.  I swear almost every time I cook a big meal there's something that I forget or that I run out of in the middle of cooking.  Then, I look at him, bat my eyes, and say "Tom?  Would you mind running out for ..."  And he's the best husband ever, so he usually will do it.  I don't know why I thought one small can of beans would be enough to make black bean soup.  Well, it wasn't.  So, this dinner is courtesy of Tom running to the store to get 2 more cans for me.

I didn't really consult a recipe for this soup.  I just figured I'd throw together some tomatoes, black beans, onion, garlic, etc and it would work out.  And it did.  I also had just made a big pot of homemade chicken stock, so that had me thinking about soup.  This is a good weekday meal because you can used canned beans and tomatoes and throw it together in about a half hour.

Tomato Black Bean Soup


1 large can diced or crushed tomatoes
3 small cans of black beans, NOT drained or rinsed
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped (you can also leave the seeds in if you want a little more kick)
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
4-6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Shredded cheddar cheese and/or sour cream for garnish

1. In a large saucepan, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat.  Add chopped onion and garlic.  Cook until softened, about 3 minutes.

2. Add jalapeno and saute for another couple minutes.

3. Add tomatoes and black beans.  Do not rinse or drain any of the cans of tomatoes or beans, just add everything in.

4. Add 3-4 cups of chicken stock, until it is soup like consistency.  Stir everything together.  Add spices and stir again.  Bring to a slight boil, then turn down the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes to let the flavors mix together.

5. Once everything has simmered for a bit, you can blend some of the soup to thicken it.  If you have an immersion blender, you can blend it until it's a consistency you like.  If you want it all totally blended smooth, that's fine, or if you want some beans and tomato chunks left, that's fine too.  If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer the soup to a blender in batches and blend until smooth.

6. Taste the soup once you've blended to the consistency you want.   If you want it a bit spicier, add some cayenne pepper (a LITTLE at a time!), if you want a smokier flavor, add a little more cumin and chili powder, or if it's not salty enough, add a little salt.  Salt will depend on the stock you're using.  If you're using canned stock, chances are you won't need much salt.  If you're using homemade stock, you may need to add a little salt.

7. To serve, add a little shredded cheddar cheese and/or a dollop of sour cream on top of the soup.  And spinkle some fresh copped cilantro too if you're feeling fancy.