With summer starting to wind down, the kitchens of Full Moon Cuisine decided that it was time to craft a recipe to celebrate the season and the wonderful heat outside. And how best to celebrate the heat then with the underrated, under appreciated edible, the black bean? While many may think of beans only as a side dish, or as a supporting actor in other dishes, this mighty (tasty) bean most definitely deserves to be the lead! And with a few ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen, you can have a delicious, healthy dish ready for a party of any size! Here's what you'll need:

- 2 15 ounce cans of black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 2 medium yellow onions (chopped)
- 4 large cloves of garlic (chopped)
- 2 carrots (peeled and chopped)
- 5 cups chicken broth (make this dish vegetarian/vegan by switching to vegetable broth!)
- 3/4 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 3/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- Sour cream and cilantro (chopped) to garnish
- 2 tbsp olive oil

In a soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and cook the onions, garlic, and carrots for approximately 10 minutes. You'll want to cook until the onions are translucent (don't let them brown!). After, add in the drained black beans, chicken stock, oregano, cayenne, cumin, coriander, and salt, then stir to combine. Clamp on the lid of your pot, reduce the heat to medium-low, and bring to a simmer for 15-20 minutes. After the simmering, use an immersion blender (or a stand blender) to puree the soup smooth (or leave some whole beans for added texture). Squeeze in the juice of half of a lime and add any additional salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into a bowl and garnish with a heaping tablespoon of sour cream and freshly chopped cilantro.

Not only is this dish delicious, healthy, and inexpensive, but it is also one you can make in next to time at all! The soup evokes the flavors of the south, celebrating the mighty black bean with a harmony of spices and flavors. Make yourself a pot of this soup and you'll have dinner for days, or a party of very satisfied guests who may never have known how satisfying black beans could be. To help spread the word of beans the kitchen will be staying open late. Care to place an order?

What's the 2015 soup challenge? Check out my journal and suggest a recipe!