Spicy Black Bean Soup

My Spicy Black Bean Soup

2 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, diced
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups broth
4 cans (15-16 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon cumin
¼-1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder (or cayenne)
Juice of 2 limes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch cilantro, washed and finely chopped

In a soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes until it softens. Add the garlic and stir, cooking another 2-3 minutes. Add the broth and about ½ cup water, beans, lime juice, cumin and chipotle. Stir to combine.
Turn up the heat and bring to a simmer. Cover and lower the temperature and simmer for about 10 minutes. Check to see if you need more liquid. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.
Take about ½ of the beans and put in a blender. Add enough of the soup liquid to make a puree. Add about 1/3 cup cilantro before pureeing. Stir this mixture back into the rest of the soup.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls. You can add a scoop of white rice to the middle and garnish with the reserved cilantro. Other garnishes: sliced green onions and finely minced jalapeno (seeded if you don’t want so much heat).