Black Bean Soup... Tasty!

It was cool out the other day. Quite a change from the 90 degrees we'd been experiencing. I thought it was fall?!?!? I guess Texas had other ideas. I was wanting some soup, but didn't really feel like going to the grocery store. My husband was really happy about that. I looked in the pantry and there were some black beans. Now, I am a big fan of black beans, but have never made black bean soup. I figured "no time like the present", so I gathered up the ingredients and off I went. Not that I had to go far... about 2 feet to my kitchen counter. I had searched the internet for recipes, and found several that looked good. Of course I just combined what I liked from each one and made my own. I was very happy with how it turned out. Even my husband ate some, and he is the type that thinks you should have some sort of meat at each meal. Honey, there was no meat in this, and you ate it anyways. I love my husband.

Black Bean Soup

3 cans of black beans

1 can Ro-tel

1 can chicken broth

Chopped onion - I used about 1/2 c, but you can use more or less

Minced garlic - to taste

Chili powder - to taste

Ground cumin - to taste

Splash of lime juice (optional)

1/2 - 3/4 c half and half

1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

2 T flour

I used my crockpot for this because it had been feeling a little left out lately. Drain and rinse the black beans. In the crockpot add the black beans, can of Ro-tel, chicken broth, onion, and garlic. Stir and add a few shakes of ground cumin, chili powder, and a splash of lime juice. I just love lime juice, and think it adds a nice touch. If you like your food on the spicy side, throw in a few slices of jalapeno. Cook on low for 2 hours. When the 2 hours are up, puree the soup in small batches with the half and half. I used my food processor, but a blender will do the job. You could also use an immersion blender. I don't have one, but if my husband is reading this, maybe I will have one soon. Hint, hint. Return the soup to the crockpot. In a bowl mix the cheese with the flour. Add this to the soup, stir well, and heat through. Top the soup with sour cream, slices of avocado, tortilla chips, salsa, whatever strikes your fancy. You could also eat it plain, but there's no fun in that!