How to make black bean soup

Peel one full onion and 3 to 4 cloves of garlic. You can use more or less depending on your taste. Add these to food chopper.

Roughly chop broccoli and cauliflower stocks from other meals. I use this trick to get some real vegetables into my life since I'm such a fussy eater. Add to food chopper along with onion and garlic

Chop everything to a fine chop. I like the veg my soups in fairly small pieces. Again, use your own preferences.

Add 4-6 tablespoons of olive oil to large soup pan and bring up to medium high heat.

Add the chopped veg and sauté until soft and translucent.

Once vegetables are cooked -- Add 2-3 quarts of ham, chicken or flavorful vegetable stock. this was homemade ham stock made from the bone of our Easter ham.

Cook 1 cup white rice in 2 cups water and boil until done. Add to soup. You can also simply add 1 cup of rice to soup and cook there.

Add 4-6 cans of black beans or 6 cups of home cooked black beans, including liquid.

Add tablespoons chili powder, 1 tsp basil, 1/4 tsp black pepper, pinch of cayenne pepper and pinch of red paper flakes. Add heat to your taste.

Bring soup to boil then turn down heat to low.

Cook soup down until it comes together into thick balance or stock, beans, rice and meat.

Starting to see balance of stock, rice beans and meat in each spoonful.

Finished soup. Serve up in large bowls. I like to top mine with sharp cheddar while my wife prefers a dollop of sour cream.

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