Mark Bittman's black bean soup

3  tablespoons		canola or olive oil
1  cup		medium onions, chopped
2		cloves garlic,s minced
1-1/2  tablespoons		chili powder, or more to taste
4  cups		chicken or vegetable stock
2  teaspoons		Juice of 1 lime, or to taste
1		Sour cream or plain yogurt to garnish, or 1 egg
1/4  cup		cilantro, chopped
2  cups		Butternut Squash - Baked, Cubes
1		Avocado - Fresh
5  cups		Black Beans

Tip: For nutritional information on all the ingredients in Mark Bittman's black bean soup just click on each ingredient name. Then adjust the serving size for any Mark Bittman's black bean soup ingredient with the serving size tool in the nutrition facts area to the right to see how you can save calories, carbs and more.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and chili powder and cook, stirring constantly, for an additional minute.

Add the beans, stock, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes.

The cookbook suggests adding chunks of sweet potato or squash. Do not add these during the cooking. Bake them ahead of time and add when ready to serve. This recipe includes butternut squash to accurately reflect the calorie count. I also added a chopped avocado as garnish. You can also add chunks of roast red pepper right before serving.

You can make a fried egg to add to the soup. Use this instead of the yogurt for a garnish. Note that the ingredients/calories do not include the egg. If using the egg, heat an additional tablespoon of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat in the meantime. Add the egg, cover, and fry slowly until the whites are completely set and the yolk is to your liking (I prefer it soft so it disperses into the soup).

To thicken the soup, purée it briefly with a stick blender, transfer half through food mill or into a blender, or just mash it by hand. Remove from the heat and add the lime juice. Adjust seasoning as necessary, garnish with cilantro, avocado, squash/sweet potato, and egg or 1.5 Tbsp. yogurt. Serve immediately.

Note: Bittman's original recipe calls for 3 c cooked black beans. I used organic canned black beans (2 25-oz cans). I prefer the soup a little thicker so I added about 2 c of black beans in addition to the 3 c he calls for. The additional 2 c was what was left over after draining the 2 25-oz cans.