Black Bean Soup

shared by Patty H. (This soup has a delightfully different taste and is hearty and filling. We really enjoyed it.)

Ingredients:

2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
3 T. butter to sauté onions in
6 garlic cloves, pressed (I used ½ tsp. minced garlic flakes)
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes, with juice
2 Tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
3 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 bunch cilantro (I used ½ tsp. of dried cilantro)
1 Tablespoon lime juice
Optional:  (I didn’t “garnish” mine)
thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
sour cream, for garnish
grated cheddar, for garnish

Directions:

1. Melt the butter and stir in the onions and cook until they start to turn translucent.
2. Stir in the garlic (or garlic flakes) and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute.
3. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes.
5. Cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes if desired.

Note:  The original recipe called for finely chopped cooked bacon which I didn’t use but I would imagine that it would be a tasty addition. However, we thought the soup was excellent as it was.