Cuban Black Bean Soup

This is a delightfully fresh soup. This recipe was adapted from the January February 2008 Cooking Light magazine. The original recipe includes ham, but omitting this ingredient certainly did not hurt the flavor.

Ingredients:

2 cans black beans

1 cup vegetable broth

1 Tb olive oil

3 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper

2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onion

2 small shallots chopped

1 Tb ground cumin

3 Tb dried oregano

1 1/2 Tb sugar

2 tsp kosher salt

2 cups diced avocado

2 TB fresh like juice

1 cup thinly sliced red onion

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup shredded cheddar or Colby jack cheese

2 med jalapeño peppers, finely chopped ( I pulsed them in food processor)

Place beans and vegetble broth in a Dutch oven and heat to a simmer. Heat until warmed through and then remove from heat.

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper, chopped onion, and shallots to pan; cook 10 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring frequently. Stir in cumin, dried oregano, and fresh oregano; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Place vegetable mixture in a blender; add 1/2 cup water. Puree until smooth.
2. Add vegetable mixture, sugar, and salt to beans; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine avocado and juice; toss gently. Ladle 3/4 cup bean mixture into each of 10 bowls; top each serving with about 3 tablespoons avocado mixture, about 3 tablespoons red onion, about 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, about 1 1/2 tablespoons shredded cheese, and about 1/2 teaspoon jalapeño pepper. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.