Spicy Black Bean Soup {vegan}

This is one of those go-to soups I make when I want something hearty and fast. I can’t get enough of black beans; I take a store-bought container of black bean soup and dump extra black beans into it to make it thicker and heartier. Trader Joe’s black bean soup is the base I use — it’s my favorite and I’ve tried a lot of different brands. Feel free to experiment in your own kitchen with the following basic recipe.

This dish is a tad spicy! Adding sour cream and cheese will reduce the spice. Serve with some fresh crusty bread and you have yourself a hearty meal.

ingredients.

1 32-oz container of Trader Joe’s Latin Style Black Bean soup with garlic, chipotle, and sea salt
4 slices bacon, chopped (optional; for non vegans)
2 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15.25-oz whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
1 4-oz can fire-roasted diced green chiles
¼ to ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
olive oil

directions.

For vegan soup: Heat a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat and add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pot. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until cooked through.
For non vegan soup: In a soup pot or Dutch oven cook the bacon over medium heat until cooked to desired doneness. Set aside. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and sauté in the bacon grease until cooked through. Add olive oil if necessary while cooking.
Add the soup and two cans of black beans. At this point you can use a food processor, immersion blender or regular blender to blend all or part of the soup. If you like a thick soup this is recommended. You can skip the blending and add the corn and chiles or add those after blending. (Add meat here if using.)
Heat thoroughly allowing the soup to simmer on the stove over low heat for at least 30 minutes. Season to taste.
Serve with your favorite vegan or non vegan garnishes.
Soup will thicken when it stands and while refrigerated overnight.