My Favorite Black Bean Soup (so far....)

We are always thrilled to find tasty meatless dishes, and this soup was a huge hit for us. Not only is it quick to prepare (ready in under 30 minutes) and delicious (great combination of spices), but the colors are just gorgeous. Black, yellow, green, red juxtaposed together make this dish beautiful and healthy as well. What more can you ask for? Besides a side of corn bread...

My Favorite Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or substitute cooked dried beans- we did)
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
½ green bell pepper, chopped
½ red bell pepper, chopped
14 oz. can low sodium chicken broth
14 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. pepper
dash red pepper flakes

Preparation:

Cook onion and garlic in oil in a large soup pot until tender. Mash about half of the beans using a fork, and add to the pot, along with the remaining whole beans, corn, bell pepper, chicken broth, and tomatoes.

Stir in seasonings. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer the soup for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove bay leaf and serve. Serves 4-6