Title: Southwestern Vegetarian Black Bean Soup
Categories: Beans, Soups & ste
Yield: 7 Servings

1 lb Dried black beans
1/2 c Water
1/2 oz Chipotle pepper, dried
2 tb Vegetable oil
1 1/2 c Onion, chopped
3/4 c Carrot, chopped
3/4 c Celery, chopped
3/4 c Green bell pepper, chopped
3/4 c Red bell pepper, chopped
2 Cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 c Vegetable broth, canned
1 c Cooking sherry
2 tb Ground cumin
1 tb Chili powder
1 tb Dried oregano
2 tb Honey
1/2 ts Salt
1/2 ts Ground cinnamon
1/8 ts Pepper
29 oz Tomatoes, canned, diced,
-undrained
1 Bay leaf
7 tb Fat-free sour cream
Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Sort and wash beans; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2
inches above beans; bring to a boil, and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat;
cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain beans in a colander; set aside.

Combine 1/2 c water and chile in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove
water and chile from heat; cover and let stand 10 minutes or until chile is
softened. Place water and chile in a food processor, and process 1 minute
or until smooth. Set chile puree aside.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 5
ingredients (onion through garlic); saute 7 minutes. Add beans, 2
tablespoons chile puree, broth, and next 10 ingredients (broth through bay
leaf); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours. Discard bay
leaf.

Remove 4 cups of beans and vegetables from soup with a slotted spoon; set
aside. Place half of remaining soup in a blender; process until smooth, and
pour into a bowl. Repeat procedure with other half of soup. Return pureed
soup to pan and stir in 4 cups of bean-vegetable mixture. Cook soup over
medium-low heat until thoroughly heated. Ladle soup into individual bowls;
top with sour cream and garnish with cilantro, if desired. Serve with
remaining chile puree, if desired.

Yield 7 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups soup and 1 tablespoon sour
cream).

Recipe by: Cooking Light YEAR: 1995 ISSUE: Nov/Dec PAGE: 110 Posted to
MC-Recipe Digest V1 #610 by Terry & Kathleen Schuller
on May 13, 1997