Pull It from the Pantry Gluten Free Black Bean Soup Recipe

Had a hankerin' for some black bean soup, and stared at the pantry shelf...

So I did the smart thing - I looked on allrecipes.com.  Not one (NOT ONE!) seemed to match what was on my shelf.  And monthly shopping wasn't happening for a few more days.  So I looked really hard at the ones that sounded the most tasty to me.  What do they have in common?  What can I substitute?

This is the result:

SPH Gluten Free Black Bean Soup
2 cans black beans
1 can sweet corn
1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (I used Muir Glen brand)
1 can full of chicken stock (use whatever stock you prefer - I used Pacific brand organic free-range chicken)
olive oil
1/2 pound of carrots, diced (I had half of a 1-pound bag of baby carrots left from making carrot cupcakes)
2-3 stalks celery, diced (if they have leaves, even better)
1 onion, diced
@ 2 T. minced garlic
1 T. chili powder (or to taste)
2 t. cumin (or to taste)
2 t. oregano (or to taste)
1 t. black pepper (or to taste)
salt to taste - and don't taste until just before serving!
shredded cheese and sour cream for toppings, if desired

Start with the base for your soup.  In a large soup pot, heat some olive oil over medium-high heat.  I used enough to just cover the bottom, so I'm guessing it's a few tablespoons.  Add diced onion, and cook until onion is translucent, about 3-5 minutes.  While my onion was cooking, I diced up my carrots and celery.  When onion is done, add spices, carrots and celery to the pan.  This will allow your spices to get all warm and cozy and release maximum flavor in your soup.  Stir for a minute or two, just to warm the spices, then add the garlic.  Stir for another minute or two.  Add the tomatoes and their juice to the pan.  Then, fill that can with stock, swirl it around and dump it into your soup pot.  Cover, and allow to simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or til your carrots are tender.  Pour contents of pan and 1 can of black beans into a large blender or food processor.  Puree til fairly smooth.  Pour back into pot, and add remaining can of black beans and can of sweet corn.  Stir well to combine.  Cover and heat again for another 10-15 minutes, or until everything is heated through.  Taste for salt and adjust other seasonings, if needed.  Serve hot, with a dollop of sour cream and/or shredded cheese if desired.

The next time I make this, I might try using some browned chorizo.  You know, brown the chorizo in the oil first and allow it to drain while I did everything else.  Then, at the end, adding it back in.  Something to think about the next time I get a taste for black bean soup.

Enjoy!