Fire-Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Soup with Fresh Salsa

I got this soup recipe from Mel's Kitchen Café blog and it is truly delicious!  In fact, we love most of her recipes.  This one is really hearty and full of flavor, and I love the contrast of the fresh salsa on top.  The younger kids don't like salsa, so I just left that off their bowls. Now that it feels like winter again (most of our February was unseasonably warm here in Utah), we will be eating this soup on those chilly nights.

Fire-Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Soup with Fresh Salsa

Serves 4-6

 

Ingredients

Soup:
• 1 tablespoon oil (canola, vegetable, olive, coconut)
• 1 red onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 cans (14-ounces each) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cans (15-ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Squeeze of fresh lime juice, a couple teaspoons
Salsa:
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (thawed if frozen)
• 1/2 cup chopped red pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Squeeze of fresh lime juice
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a 4-quart pot, heat the oil over medium heat until rippling. Add the onion and saute 4-5 minutes until it turns translucent. Add the garlic, oregano, cumin and chili powder and cook, stirring constantly, for another minute or so.
2. Stir in the tomatoes, black beans, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 30-45 minutes. Carefully puree the soup with a handheld immersion blender or by ladling it into a blender (may need to do it in batches depending on the size of your blender). Puree to your desired consistency. Stir in the lime juice and any additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
3. For the salsa, stir together the ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste. The salsa can be covered and refrigerated for a day or so.
4. Ladle the warm soup into bowls and top with a generous spoonful of salsa.