Smoky Black Bean Soup with Cilantro Sauce

What do you do when you feel like you were run over by a truck? Make soup, that hot, hearty, one dish meal that can soothe all. It all started when I got home from work Friday, and MD told me he just ordered a mondo amount of mulch to arrive Saturday morning. Things got even more alarming when he showed me the spread sheet of calculations to determine the necessary amount for our front and back yards. Despite my trepidation, I determined that no mulch would interfere with Friday cocktail time and proceeded to make margaritas. And all was well until...

Saturday morning greeted us with chilly, drizzly weather. We had weeding to do before the mulch could go down, so we got right to it, crouching, pulling weeds, squatting some more. Then, the mulch arrived, and I mean a mulch mountain. I fantasized about taking a photo of the mulch mountain for you guys, and caption it "I'd rather be blogging", but I was too overwhelmed to get the camera.

Flash forward to Sunday night. We had two days of squatting, pulling, shoveling, hauling, spreading, kneeling, ....you get the picture. I could barely move. What I needed was some serious comforting nourishment, and this soup fit the bill. After a little chopping of vegetables, everything was ready to simmer away while I had a glass of wine and called for more Ibuprofen. The result was a smoky black bean soup with chunky potatoes, red bell peppers, and corn, all flavored with chipotle in adobo. I stirred in a sauce at the end of minced cilantro, garlic, and olive oil to impart a nice flavorful finish.

I hope to get a few shots of our flowers and culinary herbs to share soon. If I can keep Scout from nibbling the Thai basil. And after I stop feeling like I was run over by a truck.

Smoky Black Bean Soup with Cilantro Sauce
Serves 6-8

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced and divided (set 1 clove aside)
1 Tablespoon chipotle in adobo, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 15 ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup frozen corn
crumbled tortilla chips and hot sauce to garnish, optional

In a large pot (that has a lid), heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and bell pepper and saute for about 8 minutes. Add 3 cloves minced garlic, chipotle, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Saute for about 1 minute. Add potatoes, tomatoes, beans, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the cilantro sauce by combining the chopped cilantro, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste in a small bowl. Set aside.

After the soup cooks for 30 minutes, remove the lid and add the corn. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until it thickens to the consistency you desire. Turn off heat and stir in cilantro sauce. Serve each bowl garnished with crumbled tortilla chips. Check for seasoning and add salt or hot sauce if desired.