A Real Recipe - Really!

For dinner a couple nights ago I veganized my favorite black bean soup recipe. The original recipe calls for bacon, which does lend nice chewy bits to the soup, so if anyone has ideas for a chewy substitute let me know. Otherwise the flavor is spot on.

I also used a can of veggie refried beans as the thickener this time; the usual recipe calls for all black beans and then I blend part of it with either a stick blender or a regular blend which thickens it more than the can of refried beans did. You can use either depending on the consistency you desire. Obviously, you should adjust the spice level to your individual preference. This has a nice heat that kind of creeps up on you, but B didn't complain about the spice, so it wasn't too spicy (he's the worst half-mexican ever and doesn't like spicy food).

















Spicy Black Bean & Veggie Soup

1 tsp. olive oil

1 med onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery (or 1 very large stalk), diced

1 lg red bell pepper, diced

1 poblano pepper, diced fine

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 sm chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced

1 tsp. adobo sauce*

2 tsp. chili powder**

1 tsp. ancho chile powder***

2 tbsp ketchup or tomato paste

1 tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce

1 tsp liquid smoke

3 cups vegetable stock

15 oz can diced tomatoes

28 oz. can black beans, partially drained

15 oz. can vegetarian refried beans

juice from 1 lime

1/4 cup cilantro, minced (or to taste)

Spray a large pot with non-stick cooking spray, add oil, and heat on medium. When oil starts to shimmer add onions, carrots, celery, and bell pepper and stir to coat. Cook until softened but not brown, about 5 minutes (turn down heat if veggies start browning). Add garlic and poblano pepper and cook another minute or two, until veggies start to brown. Add chipotle pepper, chili powders, ketchup, worcestershire, and liquid smoke. Stir to coat and cook another 30 seconds. Add vegetable stock, scrapping bottom of pot to loosen any brown bits. Add tomatoes, black beans and refried beans and stir to full incorporate everything. Bring to a bubble and cook 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Take off heat, stir in lime juice and cilantro and serve (alternately you can pass the cilantro at the table if not everyone enjoys it.)

Serve with vegan cheese and sour cream if you are so inclined, I'm pretty happy with it as it.

We had the corn bread from Veganomicon with this. The only changes I made were to double the sugar (at B's request) and use hemp milk instead of soy. I like it, but I want to tinker with it.

* If you want the smokyness of chipotle pepper, but not so much heat you can substitute 1/2 tsp chipotle powder. Don't know what to do with the rest of those peppers in can? Place them individually on a parchment or silpat cover baking sheet, spoon 1/2 teaspoon of adobo sauce over each, and freeze until solid. Once frozen place in a freezer bag or container and use as needed.

** I like the control that having multiple single-type chile powders gives me so if you have those, use 1/2 teaspoon each of four different ones.

*** Ancho chile powder is my favorite single-type chile powder so that's why I specify it here, but if you don't have it you can just use another teaspoon of chili powder.