Mini's Spicy Black Bean Soup

This started on the quest of a great copy cat recipe of TGI Friday's Black Bean Soup that they took off their menu. With the help of my daughter we managed to mix what we liked from different recipes to make this great flavorful and spicy recipe. This is a great soup or can be used as a dip. Serve with chips or tortilla's and you have a tasty and complete meal. This is spicy so you might need to adjust some of the seasoning to your taste.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 4  slices bacon, chopped
• 1  small onion, chopped
• 3⁄4 cup celery, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup carrot, chopped
• 1⁄4 cup green pepper, chopped
• 2  tablespoons garlic, minced
• 4 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained
• 4  cups  chicken stock
• 2  tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 3  teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 3  teaspoons cumin
• 1  teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium/high heat till browned.
2. Add onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper and garlic to the bacon/grease mixture and simmer for 15 minutes or until the onions are clear. Do not let the veggies turn brown.
3. While cooking the vegetables, pour 3 cups of the drained beans and 1 cup of chicken stock to a food processor and puree until smooth.
4. When veggies are done add pureed beans, the rest of the chicken stock and every other ingredient in the list to the pot bring to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 50-60 minutes or until the soup has thickened.