Yummy Spicy Soup

I made soup mixes for family members at Christmas time and had a bunch of black beans leftover. So we tried out a black bean soup tonight. I tweaked a recipe I found online and it turned out wonderful. Definitely a great soup if you like spicy flavors, and it was a nice hearty soup for the cold weather we have been having. Best thing of all, it is a crock pot recipe so it would be great for a weeknight meal.

Black Bean Soup with Chorizo
Serves 6

1 lb dried black beans, soaked overnight.
1 onion diced
3 chorizo sausages, either diced or crumbled depending on the kind you find in your grocery store
1 chipolte pepper, seeded and diced.
1 tsp of adobo sauce (from the chipolte peppers)
4 tsp diced jalapenos (I used pickled jarred jalapenos because we didn't have any fresh in the house, but 1 fresh jalapeno would work too)
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp hot sauce
6 cups chicken broth
Salt to taste

Drain beans and add all ingredients to your crock pot/slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Take 3-4 ladles of beans/broth and puree in food processor or blender. Add puree back to soup and keep warm until ready to serve. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream and cheddar cheese if desired.

The soup is quite spicy so just tone down the cayenne pepper and jalapenos if you think it will be too much spice. This is easily made a vegetarian dish by omitting the chorizo and using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.