Buona Sera Black Bean Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 (14 ounce) cans low sodium chicken broth
4 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 1/4 ounce) can sweet whole kernel corn, drained
1 (16 ounce) jar mild picante sauce or (16 ounce) jar salsa

Preparation

In a 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat.
Cook onion, celery, carrots, and garlic in oil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add chili powder, cumin, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute.
Stir in low sodium chicken broth, 2 cans of black beans and the corn. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.
Place remaining 2 cans black beans and the picante/salsa in blender or food processor. Cover and blend on high speed until smooth. Stir into boiling soup mixture.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serve with cilantro if desired.