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I've been loving a sort of ad hoc black bean soup I've been making lately.

It is based on a recipe from the Rick Bayless cookbook, Mexico - One Plate at a Time. His recipe includes Masa "Gnocchi", which I didn't make or add to the soup, but I bet they'd be great. Interesting concept. I just wanted straight soup with no other starch but beans.



Ad Hoc Black Bean Chipotle Soup

Ingredients:

1.5 cans cooked black beans (I ran out of dry... they are much better if you cook them yourself).
4 med sized roma tomatoes
1 med sized red onion
4-5 whole garlic cloves
2 tsp of chipotle in adobo sauce (or more to taste)
3 oz raw baby spinach
Chopped tomato, onion, cilantro for garnish (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Halve tomatoes and set them in a baking dish lined with parchment paper, along with whole garlic cloves and onion very roughly chopped. Use a dish with some lip on the sides so the juice of the tomatoes doesn't run off. Roast veggies until they are mostly soft and you can pick the skins off the tomatoes. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, put black beans (with liquid) in a med sized sauce pan and bring to a low simmer.
3. Remove skins from tomatoes and add them along with any accumulated juices into a high speed blender along with the garlic and chipolte. Puree until smooth. Add cooked onion chunks and blend on low speed for a short time just to chop them a bit more finely.
4. Add puree to simmering beans. Cover and simmer until mixture -20 thickens a bit (approx. 15- 20 min.).
5. Remove cover and stir in baby spinach. Cover and let wilt, stirring every few minutes to incorporate the spinach into the soup.
6. Serve topped with chopped onion, tomatoes, cilantro and a dab of leftover savory salad dressing if you have it. I used some leftover "caesar" dressing made with roasted garlic and cashews.