Recipe - Downtown Black Bean Soup

2 One half qt Water or vegetable stock
2 cup Black beans; dried
2 Bay leaves
One fourth cup Olive oil; up to Three fourths cup
3 Onions; chopped
2 Green bell peppers; chopped
1 Fresh jalapeno; chopped
5 Garlic cloves; minced
Salt; to taste

Bring to a boil the water, beans & bay leaves. Turn down the heat and let
simmer a couple of hours until the beans start to get tender. Tthen heat
One fourth to Three fourths cup olive oil (how much will your conscience allow?) in a
skillet and cook in it the onions, bell peppers, jalapeno & garlic until
tender but not browned.

Stir this mixture into the simmering black beans and let cook until quite
tender and flavorful. More salt may be needed, and if you have a chance to
let the soup sit overnight at this point, it will be even better. If
desired, puree half or all of this to smoothness; we like it halfpureed,
halfchunky. If you do puree it, be sure to reheat it before serving it,
either as is or Cubanstyle: bowls of steaming hot white rice and dishes of
chopped raw onions are on the table, and each person stirs as much or as
little rice and onions as they wish into their soup.
Posted to recipeludigest by "Christopher E. Eaves" cea260@airmail.net on
Feb 25, 1998