Caribbean Eggplant And Black Bean Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil or 1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup carrot, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes in puree
2 2 tablespoons orange juice or 2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
2 1/4 cups eggplants, peeled and cut into 1/2-in cubes
1 cup cooked black beans
6 drops hot red pepper sauce (to taste)

Preparation

In a 5-quart Dutch oven, heat the oil over low heat. Add green pepper, celery, garlic, and carrots; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the cumin, allspice, oregano, and salt and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes (break them up) and sherry, honey, and the lime rind. Bring to a boil, cover, cook for 15 minutes. Add eggplant and cook, covered, for 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in the beans and red pepper sauce and cook just until heated through.