Black Bean Soup with Chipotle Chiles

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon chipotle sauce canned chopped
• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt 
• 16 ounce black beans dried
• 0.3 cup cilantro leaves fresh chopped
• 4  garlic cloves minced
• 1 medium size bell pepper green chopped
• 4 teaspoons ground cumin 
• 0.3 teaspoon ground pepper black
• 2 tablespoons juice of lime fresh
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 cup nonfat yogurt plain
• 0.5 cup plum tomatoes seeded chopped
• 1 medium size bell pepper red chopped
• 2 medium size onions red chopped
• 7 cups water hot

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• ladle
• blender
• slow cooker

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add onions and both bell peppers and sauté until beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.
3. Add garlic and cumin; stir 1 minute.
4. Transfer mixture to 6-quart slow cooker.
5. Add beans and chipotles, then 7 cups hot water. Cover and cook on high until beans are very tender, about 6 hours.
6. Transfer 2 cups bean mixture to blender; puree until smooth. Return puree to remaining soup in slow cooker. Stir in lime juice, salt, and pepper.
7. Ladle soup into bowls. Spoon dollop of yogurt into each bowl.
8. Sprinkle with tomatoes and cilantro and serve.
9. *Chipotle chiles canned in a spicy tomato sauce, sometimes called adobo, are available at Latin American markets and many supermarkets.
10. Add richness to slow-cooker soups by using a mixture of half broth and half water instead of only water.
11. Per serving: calories, 314; total fat, 4 g; saturated fat, 1 g; cholesterol, 1 mg; fiber, 18 g
12. Bon Appétit