If your family has a hard time eating their veggies, this is a great soup to sneak in some secret vegetable matter. Plus it utilizes the black foods of winter, to support your kidneys during the winter season.

Ingredients

• 2 cans (15 ounces) black beans or four cups rehydrated black beans
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion
• 2 carrots
• 4 kale leaves
• 1 bell pepper
• (optional 1 jalepeno)
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 5 cups stock of your choice (beef, chicken, vegetable, mushroom)
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp coriander
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp salt
• Garnish options: dollop of sour cream, minced cilantro, shredded cheddar, avocado slices, pico de gallo

Instructions:

Roughly chop all the veggies. The soup will end up pureed, so no need to be too concerned over a specific chopping style at this stage of the game. Add the oil to a Dutch oven or thick-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the onions, carrots, bell pepper, garlic, and the optional jalapeno, sauté for about 8 minutes.

After the vegetables are soft, add the stock, black beans, spices and chopped kale leaves. Allow the mixture to simmer for 15 minutes to meld all the flavors.

After 15 minutes, fish out the bay leaves. Let the soup cool for a little bit. Puree in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Dish up into bowls, garnish with your desired toppings and serve.