Black Bean Soup

For all those who love black bean soup, here's my recipe.  I found this in an America's Test Kitchen Healthy Cookbook (I LOVE America's test kitchen stuff!)  I've made many black bean soups before but this is by far the best.  It tastes very similar to Panera's black bean soup, which I could eat all day/every day.  Enjoy...

Black Bean Soup
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 oz bacon (about 2 slices), minced (this needs to be raw.  I made the mistake of cooking it first so I had to start over...oops)
1 large onion, minced
3 celery ribs, chopped fine (my kids hate all things green so I minced these too)
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (or mince it if you have veggie-haters)
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (I like spicier soup so I was liberal with this measurement)
4 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tsp fresh lime juice (I didn't have a fresh lime so I used the canned stuff...couldn't tell the difference)
salt and pepper


1.  Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the bacon and cook until rendered and crisp, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the onions, celery, and carrot and cook until the vegetables are soft, 10-15 minutes. 
2.  Stir in the garlic, cumin, and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the beans and chicken broth, bring to a simmer, and cook until the beans are very tender and the broth is flavorful, about 30 minutes.  
3.  Puree 1 1/2 cups of the beans and 2 cups of the broth in a blender until smooth, then return it to the pot.  (I thought this was the weirdest thing to do but it really made a difference!  You'll get veggies in there too but it's fine)Stir in the lime juice, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.


To make ahead:
The soup can be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 1 month.  Thaw (if frozen) and reheat over low heat (do not boil).