Ingredients:

  • 1 lb dry black beans, rinsed and picked over
  • 6 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced small
  • 2 stalks celery, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 2 whole bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • sea salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Sauté the diced onion, carrots, and celery in olive oil in a pan for 5 minutes until softened.
  2. Add the minced garlic, ground cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder to the pan and stir for 60 seconds until fragrant.
  3. Transfer the sautéed aromatic mixture into the slow cooker.
  4. Add the rinsed dry black beans, broth, and bay leaves to the crockpot and stir gently to combine.
  5. Set the slow cooker to Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours until the beans are buttery-soft and the broth has thickened.
  6. Remove the bay leaves from the soup.
  7. Use an immersion blender to blend a portion of the soup until the desired creamy texture is achieved.
  8. Stir in the fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.