Black Bean Soup (large batch)

4 TBS Olive Oil

1 Large Onions chopped

3-4 Red Bell Peppers

10 Garlic Cloves minced

3 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

1 1/2 tsp vinegar

2 tsp Chipotle Chile Pepper

6 tsp Essence (recipe below)

1 1/2 tsp Cumin

8 cans black beans (Blend 4 or 6 cans of beans with broth in blender to make soup creamy)

10 cups Chicken Broth

Heat olive oil in pan. Sauté onions, bell peppers till tender, add garlic sauté for 1 minute, add spices sauté for 1 minute. Add beans and chicken broth; simmer for 20 minutes, will thicken at this point.  If serving over rice you will want to have it a little runny, add more broth if needed.  

Serve over (optional)

Cilantro Lime Rice

2 cups Brown Rice

4 cups Chicken Broth

2 TBS Olive Oil or Butter

1tsp Salt

Juice of 1 lime

8 TBS chopped Cilantro

Toppings

Sour Cream

Mozzarella Cheese or Cheddar

Green Onions

Cilantro

Avocado

Serves 6 people

Recipe by Eileen Hall

Essence (Emeril’s Creole Seasoning)

2 ½ TBS paprika

2 TBS sea salt

2 TBS garlic powder

1 TBS black pepper

1 TBS onion powder

1 TBS cayenne pepper

1 TBS dried oregano

1 TBS dried thyme

Added ½ TBS chipotle (helps give it a smoky flavor)

Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight jar or container.           Essence Recipe from foodnetwork.com with modifications by Eileen Hall