Slow Cooker Black Bean Stoup

It's 22 degrees here in sunny Jacksonville, Florida and that's perfect stick to your ribs soup weather. I had a bag of dried black beans and I love black bean soup so I decided to search the web (mostly food.com and a google search) for a recipe. I didn't find any that I liked so I opened my cupboards and refrigerator and played mad scientist. It came out pretty good. Feel free to try it and let me know what you think.

Slow Cooker Black Bean Stoup

1 16oz bag dried black beans
6 cups chicken stock
1 medium yellow onion (diced)
3 cloves garlic (sliced thin)
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 carrot (shredded)
1 jalapeno (de-veined and de-seeded, diced)
3 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp Kosher salt
pepper

2 bags Boil in Bag rice
tortilla chips (for garnish)
sour cream (for garnish)

Rinse and sort black beans. Place beans in slow cooker with three cups of chicken stock. Cook on high for two hours.
Add rest of chicken stock, vegetables, spices and tomato sauce. Stir soup mixture. Continue to cook on high for four to five hours. Puree soup in batches in blender or directly in the slow cooker with an immersion blender.

Serve over rice and garnish with tortilla chips and sour cream.

Serves approximately four.

The Secret

The secret knowledge of the world is available to those who seek it
It matters not if you are a prince, pauper, beggar or thief
You need only to know how to ask your interest to pique it
You can change yourself - grow a new leaf

Alchemy is not about turning led into gold
It's not about getting rich
It's about transforming the young from the old
Soothing your soul and finding your niche

Do these things and you will find
You've become the Belle of the ball
And you will realize in your own mind -

There is no secret at all

The Jacksonville Social Tarot Club

Ever since my separation and divorce I've become a bit of a Hermit. That would be the Major Arcana card that would best represent me. I know I need to come out of my shell and socialize again. To that end I started a Tarot Meetup Group in Jacksonville. The group went public this morning and our first get together is scheduled for January 25th.

If you are anywhere near Jacksonville, FL in the afternoon that day, join us. Grab a cup of java and join the fun.

The Jacksonville Social Tarot Club