Improvised Black Bean Soup

Last year I moved into my apartment right before January 2010. Since I was moving into my first New Orleans apartment, and because it was close to New Year's, the first thing I cooked in my kitchen was a black eyed pea soup for good luck. Today I basically switched out the black eyed peas and replaced them with black beans to get this black bean soup. It still came out darn delicious.


Here's what you need:

olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery ribs, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
3 cans of black beans, rinsed
32 oz or so of vegetable broth (I used less, just finishing off an open container I had in the fridge)
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
salt as needed



In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, cook onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and bell pepper in a little bit of olive oil. Saute about 10 minutes, or until tender. Stir in black beans, broth, tomatoes, and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.



This makes a pretty huge batch of soup, so be prepared to share or eat it all week.