Black Bean Soup

This is a favorite recipe of mine from Mealime.  It's often paired with another recipe, so when I just want the soup, it's complicated to weed out the other ingredients and instructions.  I decided it would be easier to put it here.

This recipe is portioned for two people

Indgredients:

bell pepper

1/2 of a yellow onion

1/2 T. olive oil

1 clove of garlic

11/2 tsp. cumin

pinch- 1/4 tsp. of crushed red pepper

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1 can black beans

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Directions:

1.  Quarter the bell pepper lengthwise; remove and discard the stem, seeds, and membranes.  Small dice the pepper and transfer to a medium bowl.

2.  Preheat a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat.

3.  Trim off and discard the ends of the onion and remove the outer layer; small dice the onion and add it to the bell pepper.

4.  Once the saucepan is hot, add olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom.

5.  Add the bell pepper and onion to the saucepan; cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3-4 minutes.

6.  Peel and mince or press the garlic.

7.  Add the garlic, cumin and crushed red pepper to the saucepan; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 15 - 30 secs.

8.  Add the broth and beans (with their liquid) to the saucepan; season with salt and pepper.  Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

9.  Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until the desired consistency is reached.  Alternatively, mash the beans with a potato masher.

10.  To serve, divide teh soup between bowls and garnish with feta.