Instant Black Bean Soup

stacylu's Note:

Recipe out of newspaper. I tend to add more cilantro, chili pepper and salsa for a spicier dish. The longer you cook it, the better the flavors meld. It was originally a vegetarian recipe that I added hamburger to so could easily be converted back! It's my dad's single favorite meal with some nice crusty bread or tortillas.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, undrained
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 (8 ounce) can chicken broth (a)
• 5 tablespoons green onions
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cilantro
• 1/2-1 lb ground beef (optional)
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
• sour cream

Directions:

1. If using beef, brown and drain fat.
2. Add beans, onions, chili powder, salsa, broth and cilantro to crockpot or soup pot.
3. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and stir while mashing some beans.
4. For soup pot: simmer over medium low heat 30 minutes to an hour.
5. For crockpot: cook on low for 2-3 hours.
6. Top with cheese and sour cream when serving.

Reviews

[chris dugan]

My daughter made this for Christmas Eve dinner in the crockpot. It simmered all day and tasted fantastic - didn't change a thing.

[monkeygirl8]

Delicious! I just made this tonight, and it was a big hit with both me and my fiance. The cheddar topping really brings it all together. The one recommendation I have is about the amount of ground beef: I used the entire 1 lb that I bought at the store, but next time I will only use half because there was a little too much of it compared to everything else. Or, if using the whole pound, I suggest increasing the amount of chicken broth so that there is enough liquid. Otherwise, this was an easy, yummy soup!

[JanuaryBride]

5 Stars for Easy and Awesome. I tasted it before it even simmered and it was perfect. I used just under 1 lb of ground beef and wanted more beans, so I added 1 can of refried beans. Then I decided it didn't have enough tomatoes, so I added an additional 1 cup of salsa. Made mine very mild (as that's how hubby likes it). Will serve this for dinner tonight with some home made beer bread. THANKS for posting this keeper.