Black Bean Soup = Happy Belly

It's Friday, I'm done with a long week, it's pouring rain, and a luxurious three-day weekend awaits... for me that means making a big ol' pot of soup to kick off a few days of nesting and resting. Ahhhhh....

So I rooted through my latest issue of Vegetarian Times, the pantry and the crisper to figure out what to make. I came up with this recipe, though I varied it according to what I had on hand (because my lands, I wasn't going out into that rain!)

CUBAN BLACK BEAN & POTATO SOUP
Serves 2-3

1 medium onion (or 1/4 cabbage, which is what I had in the crisper)
1 small red bell pepper, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
2 cans black beans
3 medium potatoes, diced
1 tb vinegar (recipe calls for white wine vinegar, I used apple cider vinegar)
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
2 tb diced cilantro
cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa or diced onion for garnish

1. Sauté onion (or cabbage), bell pepper and garlic in a little olive oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until vegetables soften.

2. Transfer to blender, or use my BFF Cuisinart Smart Stick to blend in the pan, and purée till smooth.

3. Add beans and some water -- purée to the consistency you prefer (I like mine on the thick side).

4. Add potatoes, vinegar, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, cilantro and salt. Simmer, covered, for at least 20 minutes.

Remove bay leaf and top with garnish. This soup would be good with crusty bread, rice, cornbread, or tortillas. Have a great long weekend!