Spicy Black Bean Soup with Avocado & Sour Cream

The sous chef and I are going to Mexico in February, so channeling my inner excitement to eat Mexican food and drink wine [Corona’s] on the beach for days, I thought I’d whip up a batch of spicy black bean soup.

Okay, okay, in the back of my mind was I thinking Ohmygosh Mexico is only four weeks away and I need to wear a bathing suit? Possibly.

But hey, they say spicy food speeds up your metabolism, right? So if I eat the entire batch of soup, it should be like, realllyyyy fast, right? I should pretty much consume both my entire bowl, and the sous chef’s bowl (and all of the leftovers) and lose 15 lbs. by February. That’s how that whole “losing weight” thing works, yeah?

I told myself I was doing it for the sous chef (eating every last ounce of the soup, I mean). Cause at the end of the day, he’s going to be the one that has to look at me in a bathing suit.

So thank goodness for the bicep muscle I built moving my arm from the bowl to my mouth (that many times is pretty impressive, and I’m mildly proud of myself) – not to mention this elixir of a soup is going to work it’s magic since I basically ate all of it. (It’s like that saying, the health benefits of a glass or two of red wine per day are fantastic, imagine what six or seven could do. Miracles are a funny thing, I tell you.)

Print Recipe

Spicy Black Bean Soup with Avocado & Sour Cream

Spicy and smoky black bean soup with all the fixings: sour cream, avocado, & tortilla strips. Perfect for cold winter nights, this soup will warm you right up.

Prep Time

25 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup celery chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots peeled and chopped
• 1 medium sweet onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 jalapeno minced
• 32 ounces chicken stock (or vegetable stock to adapt for vegetarians)
• 15 ounces fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup cilantro chopped (plus more for garnish)
• 1 tablespoons cumin
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons adobo sauce
• 2 15 ounce cans black beans rinsed and drained
• dollop sour cream (optional, for garnish)
• 1 avocado (optional, sliced for garnish)
• tortilla strips (optional, for garnish)

Prep Time 25 minutes Cook Time 45 minutes Servings people Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 cup celery chopped 1/2 cup carrots peeled and chopped 1 medium sweet onion chopped 3 cloves garlic minced 1 jalapeno minced 32 ounces chicken stock (or vegetable stock to adapt for vegetarians) 15 ounces fire-roasted diced tomatoes 1/4 cup cilantro chopped (plus more for garnish) 1 tablespoons cumin 1 tablespoon smoked paprika 1 tablespoon salt 1 1/2 tablespoons adobo sauce 2 15 ounce cans black beans rinsed and drained dollop sour cream (optional, for garnish) 1 avocado (optional, sliced for garnish) tortilla strips (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

1. In a large pot, add the olive oil over medium heat. Add the celery, carrots and onion. Saute until the vegetables start to brown, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno and continue sauteing for an additional 3-5 minutes.
2. Pour the chicken (or vegetable) stock into the pan, scraping up any brown bits at the bottom.
3. To the pot, add the fire roasted diced tomatoes, cilantro, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, adobo sauce, and black beans.
4. Using an immersion blender or food processor, blend half the soup, leaving some black beans and tomatoes whole for texture.
5. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. And then enjoy!

Recipe Notes

If you're not going to pop open an ice cold Corona with this soup, our wine choice is the 2013 Oak Ridge Zinfandel. The sous chef and I love this wine - it's peppery, yet velvety and the perfect full-bodied red to pair with this delicious soup.

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