Brazilian Black Bean Soup

2 cups dry black beans (soak the beans for at least 4hrs, but better if soaked overnight)

4 cups of water

ONE
1 tsp olive oil
3 cups onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tsp ground cumin
1 large carrot, chopped


TWO
1 red bell pepper, chopped
5 cloves garlic, pressed

THREE
1 1/2 cups orange juice
2 tomatoes, chopped (optional)
cayenne pepper, to taste
black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste

In a large pot cook the beans until tender, about 1 1/4 hours. If you have a pressure cooker (my mom gave me one for my birthday last year and I packed it in my suitcase!) it will only take 15 minutes!
While the beans cook, sauté the ingredients in ONE over low heat and covered, until the carrots are barely tender. Add the ingredients in TWO and cook for 10 more minutes. Add the mixture to the beans and add the ingredients in THREE. Cook for 10-15 more minutes. Using a blender or mixer, blend half of the soup (leave it chunky) and serve with a dollop of fat free plain yogurt and garnish with cilantro.

Original in Moosewood