Ingredients

• Ingredients Scale 1x2x3x 1 lb. dried black beans (or 3 cans – 15 oz.), rinsed and drained (see notes) 1 large white onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 2 medium carrots, chopped 1 medium red bell pepper, cored and chopped 2 bay leafs 1 – 2 teaspoons cumin 1 – 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 3 cups water or vegetable broth juice of one orange + orange halves himalayan salt and pepper to taste Garnish diced tomatoes onion vegan sour cream lime wedges

Preparation

• Instructions Soak beans: The night before, rinse beans in colander with cold running water. Pick through and remove any broken or shriveled beans. Place beans in large pot with 5 or 6 cups water and cover to soak overnight. Pre-Cook Beans: Next day, drain beans and rinse again. Place beans back in pot, add water, bring to a boil and simmer covered for 1 hour, drain and rinse. Orange: Juice the orange and set the juice aside. Reserve the orange halves for the soup. Cook Soup: To the pot of freshly cooked beans, add the bay leaves, garlic, cumin, paprika, onion, celery, carrots, bell pepper, water/broth, orange halves, salt and pepper, reserving the orange juice for later. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes to one hour, or until beans and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add extra water as necessary (I used another 1 cup of water). Puree: Once beans are tender, remove the orange halves and bay leaves. Use an immersion blender to blend soup to desired consistency. I blended about 3/4, leaving some chunkiness. You could also use a food processor/blender (this method may take two batches to complete). Blending is optional, you may like it chunky as is. Add the orange juice to the pureed soup and cook another 5-10 minutes. To Serve: Serve alone or over a bed of cooked buckwheat, farro or brown rice. Top soup with a dollop of Sour Cream, Lime Cilantro Cashew ‘Sour Cream’ or Paprika Cashew Crema. You may also like to top it with diced onion, tomatoes, bell peppers, avocado, jalapenos, a squeeze of lime and/or cilantro. Serves 4 generously, or 6 smaller portions.