Black Bean Soup

I got this recipe from a message board back in 2002 and have been making it ever since. The reason it's red is because it has tomatoes in it.

vegetable broth or water for sauteeing
1 onion, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
dash cinnamon
2 Tbsp Sucanat (sugar)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
28 oz can diced, stewed or crushed tomatoes
3 cans black beans (or 4 1/2 cups cooked)
3 to 5 cups vegetable stock or water
lime juice

In a heavy soup pot, saute onion for 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, Sucanat and half of the bunch of cilantro. Saute 2 or 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and beans. Saute 2 - 3 minutes. Add stock or water and bring to a boil. Blend 1 or 2 cups in a blender and then return it to the pot. Add a splash of lime juice and the rest of the chopped cilantro.

The above is what the recipe calls for. Here's what I do differently. I puree the whole soup so I don't both mincing the onions and garlic. I chop the onion coarsely and crush the garlic cloves.

I use whatever canned tomatoes I have on hand. If I use the diced or stewed tomatoes, I add less water or broth. If I use the crushed tomatoes, I use a bit more water.

This soup really has a lot of interesting flavours going on from the cilantro to the lime to the cinnamon. I didn't like cilantro the first time I tried it but have since acquired a taste for it and now love it.