Black bean soup

My mom has been going through her recipe box, thinking about throwing away some of them (which I won't hear of). I'm not sure if she found this while going through her recipes or if she had been looking for it, but she made this black bean soup last night. We didn't eat it last night, because I made fried chicken and stuffed potatoes and we ate too much of those things. This soup became lunch today, and might be dinner, too. It is spicy, creamy, and delicious. 

Black Bean Soup

From, maybe, the East Coast Grill

3 c dried black beans, soaked overnight (mom says not to use canned, however see the notes at the end for an alternate to soaking overnight)

1/4 c olive oil

2 onions, diced

6-12 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

1 1/2 t oregano

1 T cumin

1 1/2 t chili flakes

6 c chicken or vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

salt

sour cream, chives, scallions, or cilantro for topping

Drain and rinse the black beans. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the onions and cook until softened. Add the garlic, oregano, cumin, and chili flakes, cook one minute. Add the beans and stir, then add stock, bay leaf, and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 50 minutes, until the beans are soft. Remove the bay leaf, and puree 5 cups (or more) of the soup in the blender then add back to the soup. Serve topped with sour cream, chives, scallions and/or cilantro. 

This makes a big pot of soup, I bet you could freeze portion sizes to eat for lunch! 

Note: You can cook the beans instead of soaking them - place them in a pot and cover with water, bring to a boil, turn off the heat, cover and let stand for an hour. Drain and use as if you've soaked them overnight. 

If you really want to use canned beans, reduce the cooking time to about 20 minutes.