Black Bean Chipotle Soup

As promised from my last post ~ Polenta Two Ways ~ here we have the Black Bean Chipotle Soup. It's satisfying, healthy, super addicting and certain to pack a punch!

Feel free to leave out the jalapeno and chipotle pepper (shown below).... if you can't take the heat! 

Black Bean Chipotle Soup
~adapted from Black Bean Soup recipe that I posted previously on this blog, that was adapted from a lost recipe years ago in Real Simple Magazine

Ingredients
1 large onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 heaping tablespoon Chili Powder
1 tablespoon Cumin
1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobe, chopped (these are very hot, do not get on fingers)
1 Jalapeno Pepper, chopped (I deseeded half)
2 carrots, diced
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
3 15 oz cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Juice from 1/2 to 1 lime depending on size
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Directions:

In large stock pot over medium-high heat add olive oil, onion and garlic and saute until soft, about 4-5 minutes.

Add chipotle pepper, jalapeno pepper, chili powder and cumin and stir until well coated.

Add carrot and celery and stir again until all vegetables are well coated with the spice.

Add entire can of diced tomatoes, stir.

Add black beans, stir.

Add stock, stir and then bring to a boil.

Once boiling, turn heat down to a simmer, cover pot with heavy lid and cook for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove from heat, take off lid, add lime juice and tomato paste.

Carefully puree entire contents of pot with an emulsion blender or in batches in a standard blender.

Taste. Salt and Pepper only if needed as stock may add enough salt.

Serve soup as is or with toppings of choice - sour cream, shredded cheese, polenta, cilantro, scallion, bacon and tortilla chips all come to mind.