Ingredients

2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 medium onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
6 cups beef stock
4 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

Optional toppings:
sour cream
cheddar cheese
cilantro
lime juice
tortilla chips
avocado

Directions

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, until the onion is transparent. Add the carrots, celery, and red pepper to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the cumin, chili powder, oregano, chili flakes (if using), and stock to the pot and bring it to a boil.

While the soup comes to a boil, drain and rinse the cans of beans. Add 3 cans (or ¾ of the beans if you rinsed them together) to the pot. Add the remaining beans to your blender. Add a couple of scoops of the soup to the blender and blend on high until the beans are smooth. Pour them back into the pot.

Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper then serve with any or all of the optional toppings.