Black Bean Soup

Cellulite cream is a dream, compared to coffee grinds that is.  My friend has found a natural and quite effective solution to cellulite.  She mixes ground coffee with vitamin E and scrubs it on.  Wraps in plastic wrap for an hour.  She loves it, and apparently so do a lot of others.  There are numerous references to this treatment on the internet.

Sometimes I crave soup, just watery vegetables floating around in a simple broth.  This is usually after a particularly decadent weekend.  Other times I want a hearty rib-sticking black bean soup.  Simply soak the beans, then simmer them slowly for a long time, or put them in a crock-pot in the morning and come home to delicious hot piping dinner after work.

1 cup black beans

water to soak

1/2 onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon dry oregano

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed

1 quart vegetable or chicken stock (Stock is made with aromatic vegetables, so this saves you from having to aromatize your soup with carrots, celery, onions, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns.  If you choose to use water, keep in mind that you have to mince the veggies fine enough to be the same size as the beans, but add them late enough in the cooking time so they don't over-cook)

Pick the beans and remove the debris.  Place the beans in a clean bowl and fill with cold water about 2 - 3 inches over the beans.  Soak overnight.  This step assures complete cooking of the beans and most importantly takes the music out of the fruit.  The next day, discard the soaking liquid and rinse the beans.  Place the beans in a crock-pot with remaining ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  

After the beans are cooked, add salt and pepper to taste.  A little hot sauce or a chipotle pepper won't hurt if you like your beans spicy.  Enjoy.