Spicy Black Bean Soup

I went out on a limb last weekend with a new recipe. Some of you may have read I just love black beans, so I thought this would be perfect for me! I cannot remember which book I got it from but it turned out good.

                                                              Spicy Black Bean Soup:

                                                              1/2" thick piece of ham

                                                                1 tbs Vegetable oil

                                                        1 small red onion finely chopped

                                                        1 Jalapeno Chile finely chopped

                                                              4 Garlic Cloves minced

                                                             1/2 tsp Ground Cumin

                                                             1/2 tsp Dried Oregano

                                                 3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

      (I actually purchased dried black beans and soaked and cooked them for a few days)

                                                        4 cups water (add more if needed)

                                                  1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro-garnish

In Large pot, cook ham over medium-high heat until browned on both sides. Transfer to a cutting board. Reduce to medium and add oil, cook onion, stir frequently until brown. Add Jalapenos, garlic, cumin and oregano, cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add beans and water: simmer 10 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in cilantro. Puree mixture until smooth. Add more water to thin soup.
To Serve: ladle into bowl, cut ham sprinkle over soup. Optional to add more jalapenos, cilantro and sour cream.

I used my crock pot and cooked the soup on low for 10 hours.

Soup can refrigerate up to 3 days.

Do you have a favorite soup recipe to share?