Blockbuster Black Bean Soup

In addition to the 20 minutes of prep time, this recipe also requires 3 hours of cooking, and also time to soak the black beans, described in step 1.

1 lb dry black beans
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 large red onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1/4 cup lentils
1 28-oz. can peeled and diced tomatoes
2 Tbs chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs salt
1/2 cup uncooked white rice (or brown rice)
Sour cream
Lime wedge
Cilantro

In a large pot over medium heat, place the beans in three times their volume of water. Bring to a boil and let boil 10 minutes. Cover, remove from heat and let stand 1 hour. Or soak overnight. Either way, drain and rinse before using.

In a crockpot, combine soaked beans and 1 1/2 quarts fresh water. Cook for 3 hours on high. Stir in carrot, celery, onion, garlic, bell pepper, jalapeno, lentils and tomatoes. Season with chili powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper, red wine vinegar and salt. Cook on low, 2 to 3 hours.

Stir the rice into the crockpot in the last 20 minutes of cooking (if using brown rice add the last 1 hour).

Puree half the soup with a blender or food processor, then pour back into the pot before serving. Serve with lime wedges, sour cream, and cilantro.

Recipe from crockpotrecipes101.com