• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion (1/2 large onion)
• 3/4 cup diced carrots (1 large carrot)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or lime juice
• 1/2 to 1 pepper from 7-oz. tin chipotle chiles in adobo or use 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, try fire roasted tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable stock.
• 4 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed or use 6 cups cooked black beans.
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• For serving: Avocado, lime wedges, cilantro, sour cream, cheese

• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or deep pot over medium heat, and then add the onions and carrot. Cook, stirring often, until they have softened slightly and smell sweet, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic, cumin, oregano, and cook for for 30 seconds. Add the vinegar, chipotle peppers, can of tomatoes, broth, black beans, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, taste, and then season with salt and pepper.
• Simmer the soup until the carrots are tender and the broth reduces slightly, about 20 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and the juice from half a lime (or substitute the lime with an additional tablespoon of vinegar).
• For a brothy soup, serve the soup straight away. For a thicker, more velvety soup, transfer 1/4 of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the blended portion back into the soup and serve.

Calories 169 / Total Fat 2.9g / Saturated Fat 0.5g / Cholesterol 0mg / Sodium 387.2mg / Carbohydrate 27.4g / Dietary Fiber 10.6g / Total Sugars 2.4g / Protein 9g