Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

When winter rolls around and I'm still in the height of my health kick, I love to make this nutritious and fiber-packed slow cooker black bean soup. Even though it's filled with hearty beans and veggies, it's surprisingly light and incredibly easy to make.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 pound dried black beans (rinsed)
• 1 large onion (peeled and diced)
• 2 medium red bell peppers (seeded and diced)
• 2 quarts vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup Franks Cayenne Hot Sauce
• 6 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• Salt and pepper
• Chopped scallions
• Cilantro
• Jalapeno slices
• Shredded cheese
• Lime wedges
• Sour cream (or plain yogurt)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Place all the ingredients in a large 6-8 quart slow cooker and season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper. Turn the slow cooker on medium, cover, and cook for 10-12 hours. (You could soak the beans in water overnight to reduce the cooking time by half, but it's not necessary.)
2. 2Once the beans are tender, remove the bay leaves. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until two-thirds of the beans are pureed and the soup is thick. Salt and pepper to taste, then serve warm with fresh toppings.