Smoky Black Bean Soup

30 mL Western Family olive oil 2 tbsp
1 large onion, diced
8 garlic cloves, minced
10 mL each cumin seeds and coriander seeds 2 tsp
5 mL oregano 1 tsp
150 mL fresh orange juice 2/3 cup
2 540 mL/19 oz can Western Family black beans, drained, rinsed, divided
1 796 mL/28 oz can Western Family
plum tomatoes, including juice
500 mL lower sodium vegetable broth 2 cups
1-2 canned chipolte peppers 1-2 (in adobo sauce)*, minced
1 bay leaf
½ each red, yellow and green bell pepper, diced ½
1 juice of 1 lime

* You'll find canned chipotle peppers in the Mexican Food Section.

1. Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan. Add onion and garlic and sauté over medium-low heat until onion is soft, about 7 minutes. Be careful not to brown or scorch. Stir often.

2. Meanwhile, place coriander and cumin seeds in a small dry pan over low heat. Stir and shake seeds for about a minute until they begin to release an aroma. Sprinkle with oregano and continue to shake over low heat another minute or just until they begin to darken slightly. Transfer to a bowl of a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder and crush to a coarse powder Sprinkle over sautéed onions and stir in.

3. Add orange juice and deglaze pan. Cook over medium heat until juice is reduce by half.

4. Reserve 1 cup (250 mL) black beans and set aside. Stir in remaining beans. Add tomatoes and their juice, vegetable broth, chipotle peppers and bay leaf. Break up tomatoes with a fork.

5. Bring soup to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes to allow fl avours to blend. Stir in reserved black beans, diced peppers and lime juice and heat through. Serve with sour cream, if you wish.

Makes 8 cups (2 L).

Nutritional analysis per serving:
Calories 272 Protein 14.8 g Fat 4.8 g Carbohydrate 44.8 g Fibre 10 g