Spicy Black Bean Soup with Cumin and Jalapeno

The recipe for this wonderful soup was sent to me by Barbara, who is Alison's mother. What luck that there are so many food loving people in my family. Barbara was having guests over for dinner so, naturally, I asked what she planned to serve. The black bean soup was especially appealing to me. As noted before, I have a special affinity to black beans (there are worse things to confess) so don't be surprised if more recipes include them. Barbara found this recipe on Preston Maring MD's newsletter. Dr. Maring explains that beans are high in calcium so this soup is not only delicious but also good for you.

2 tbl. olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 medium carrot, diced

4 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. ground cumin

1-2 tsp. finely chopped jalapeno chili with seeds, divided* (don't rub your eyes after doing this)

2 cans black beans, including liquid

4 medium tomatoes, diced (save the juice)

1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth

chopped fresh cilantro

chopped scallions

crumbled feta cheese

In a large soup pot, heat the oil. Cook the onion, carrot and garlic until soft.

Mix in the cumin and 1 tsp. jalapeno*. Add the beans, tomatoes with juice and broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Transfer three cups to a blender, puree until smooth and return to pot. Simmer a little more until slightly thickened. Season to taste by adding a little salt, pepper and jalapeno at a time and taste frequently so you aren't surprised. Ladle into bowls and garnish as you wish.

Notes: *Barbara uses only 1/2 tsp. of jalapeno so be forewarned. Start off with less and work your way up to suit your taste

I recommend Eden Organic canned beans

I might skip the feta cheese and garnish the soup with some yogurt