Brazilian Black Bean Soup

 We love this bean soup, adapted from one 

in Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook.  
The orange juice is not optional.  Trust me, you will love it.

2 cups dried black beans, soaked overnight in

           6 cups water

1 Tablespoon olive oil

3 cups onion, chopped

10 medium cloves garlic, crushed and minced

2 teaspoons cumin

2 to 2 ½ teaspoons salt

1 medium carrot, diced

1 medium yellow bell pepper, diced

4 sprigs fresh cilantro

1 ½ cups orange juice (fresh is really good)

black pepper, to taste

cayenne, to taste (go light)

(optional: pinch of cinnamon or cardamom)

2 medium tomatoes, diced

optional toppings:

sour cream

minced cilantro

1. Bring soaked beans to a boil, cover and simmer until tender (2+ hours).  For crockpot directions, see below.
2. Heat olive oil in skillet.  Add onion, half the garlic, cumin, salt, and carrot.  Sauté over medium heat until carrot is just tender.
3. Add remaining garlic and the bell pepper.  Sauté until everything is very tender (another 10 to 15 minutes). 
4. Add sautéed mixture to the beans, scraping in every last morsel.
5. Simmer until ready to serve, then stir in orange juice, black pepper, cayenne, and tomatoes.  Mash or purée some of the soup and return to pot.  Simmer over very low heat 10 to 15 minutes more.
6. Sprinkle in minced cilantro and serve topped with a teaspoon dollop of sour cream.  Also salsa if desired.

Delicious served with sweet potatoes baked in their skins until very soft, then split and sprinkled with fresh lime juice.

To adapt to crockpot:  Cook beans 1- 2 hours on high alone.  Then add sautéed carrot, onion, cumin, bell pepper, and garlic to crockpot.  Cook on high 4-6 hours (on low 6-8).  Right before serving, stir in orange juice, black pepper, cayenne, and tomatoes.  Sprinkle with cilantro.).