Mud Soup

This is the last official day of summer!  I love this day, not because I don’t love summer but because I love autumn.  It’s now officially okay to make soup.  In our family, soup is strictly a fall/winter food.   I especially love tortilla soup.  The problem with tortilla soup is that it really needs tomatoes and I only have one child who will eat tomatoes.  I don’t cater to picky eaters very often but I’ve given up this battle and I now make foods without tomatoes or “add-your-own tomatoes”.  I came up with this soup we like to call “Mud Soup” where each person can add whatever ingredients they like to a basic black bean soup.

2 cups dry black beans

1 envelope taco seasoning

5-6 cups chicken broth or bullion

salt, pepper and cayenne to taste

Soak the black beans overnite.  The next day, drain off the water and put the beans in a crock pot.  Add the other seasonings and 5 cups of the chicken broth.  Cook on high for about 6-7 hours or until the beans are soft.  With a potato masher, mash the beans until most of them are mashed.  Add more chicken broth until you get whatever soupy consistency you like, then taste it and make sure the salt and seasonings are right.  Turn the crock pot down to “low” and cook for 2 more hours.  Now here comes the fun part, you start with the basic black bean soup and add toppings like: salsa, sour cream, grilled chicken, avocados, cilantro, tomatoes, chips, cheese, grilled corn etc…  It’s nice because everyone can customize their own bowl.  A definite win-win situation!