Best Black Bean Soup

BEST BLACK BEAN SOUP Submitted by Editor on 9/22/2010 The title says it all. Special thanks to Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and his book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease as well as the Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, New York.

Prep Time (minutes): 30 Cook Time(minutes): 45 Ready In (minutes): 75 Course: Soup Cuisine: Any Servings: 8 Occasion: Any Difficulty Level: Intermediate

INGREDIENTS 2 cups dry black beans, or 3- 15 ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained 4 cups water or vegetable broth 1 large onion, chopped (1 cup) 10 medium garlic cloves, chopped 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 medium carrots, diced 1 cup chopped bok choy 1 large bell pepper, chopped (1 cup) 1 1/2 cups orange juice 2 medium tomatoes diced (2 cups) 1 large sweet potato, steamed and cubed (1 cup) black pepper , to taste cayenne, to taste green onions (scallions) chopped cilantro, lots! salsa

DIRECTIONS Soak dry beans overnight or for at least 4 hours in plenty of water. Place soaked beans in a heavy soup pot with 4 cups of water or broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer about 1 1/4 hours, or until beans are tender (if using canned beans, skip this step) In a wok, stir-fry onion, half the garlic, the cumin, and carrots until just tender in a few tablespoons of water. Add bok choy, the remaining garlic, and bell pepper, stir-fry another 10-15 minutes until everything is very tender. Add vegetable mixture to beans, scraping bowl carefully. stir in orange juice, diced tomatoes and sweet potato. Add black pepper and cayenne pepper. Puree some or all soup in batches in a food processor or blender. Simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. serve topped with chopped green onions, cilantro and salsa. the salsa really adds a punch!

Source: http://tcolincampbell.org/index.php?id=406&rid=73&sorig=qs