Place the beans in a bowl or pot, cover with cold water, and allow to soak overnight *OR* add beans to a medium pot and cover with hot water. Bring to a boil, then boil for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and allow the beans to sit for 1 hour. Drain the beans and rinse them with cold water. In a medium pot, add beans, chicken stock, water, onions, and bell peppers. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. At that time, add salt, chili powder, and cumin and stir. Cover and continue simmering for another 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the liquid level is to your liking (anywhere from very thick to a thinner soup is fine!) Taste for seasoning and add more of what it needs. Serve soup in a bowl with sour cream, extra diced bell pepper, avocado, cilantro, tortilla strips, and a lime wedge.

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I have several things to say about this recipe I’m sharing today.

First: It has nothing to do with Easter. But I’ll make that up to you.

Second: Oh, was it good.

Third: Beans are my life. Don’t tell anyone.

Finally, this recipe, and the title thereof, raises an important philosophical question that I’ve been wanting to address, and that is this:

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BLACK BEANS AND BLACK BEAN SOUP?

I don’t really expect an answer. I’m just putting out there.

Here’s how I made the beans. I mean bean soup. I mean beans. I mean bean soup.

I did a quick soak of the beans because I didn’t decide to make them until after church yesterday. (Otherwise I would have soaked them early in the morning for a few hours.) To do a quick soak, just put the beans in a pot with hot water and bring them to a boil. Boil them for 2 minutes…





Then turn off the heat and let the beans sit in the water for an hour.





Then just drain them, rinse them in cold water…and it’s as if you’ve soaked them for several hours!





So just put the beans into a medium-sized pot…





And add 4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth and a cup of water.





You can certainly use all water if you’d like, but I think using chicken broth (or vegetable broth, if you prefer!) always adds a little more flavor.

Just use the low-sodium or no-sodium stuff or you’ll regret it the rest of your life.





Meanwhile, while the beans were quick-soaking (soaking quick? quickly soaking? soakling quicky? huh?) you chopped up an onion…





And three colors of bell pepper.





And garlic! Garlic is a must.





Add in the garlic and all the veggies…





Then turn on the heat…





And bring everything to a bawl.

Otherwise known as a boil.





Then just reduce the heat to low, cover it, and let the baynes (otherwise known as beans) cook for a good 1 1/2 hours or so.





The beans aren’t done at this point, but they’re getting there!





At this point, add some seasonings: salt…





Chili powder…





And cumin. Really basic, really good!





Now just return the pot to the stove for another hour or so (maybe less, maybe more, just watch it) until the liquid level is to your liking. I like really thick, stewy beans…but if you like things a little more liquidy, splash in a little more broth as you go. Do this also if the beans get overly thick while cooking.





When it’s just about ready, get some fixins ready! Some extra diced bell pepper, sour cream, avocado, cilantro. I was fresh out of limes or I would have cut up some wedges!

But alas. I was limeless.

I hate being limeless.

Limeless is for the birds.





But there’s no sense in dwelling on what I don’t have; just look at what I do have!





Ahh…luscious!

And here, you’ll totally understand the point in my headnote above. Beans? Bean soup?

No one really knows which.





Now. This is totally lovely on its own. Hearty, comforting, satisfying.





But with sour cream? Sublime.





And how ’bout a little more diced bell pepper?





And how ’bout a little diced avocado and cilantro?





And how ’bout…





Some strips of corn tortilla?





To all those questions, my answer is this: Yes, yes, a thousand time yes!