Black Bean Soup

Warning: This soup doesn’t need you. It wants to be left alone—for 3 hours.

You know those people who have their s*** together enough to start a soup and leave it simmering on the stove while they go to yoga and teach spinning? I hate them, but I was one—for approximately four hours one day in January. It was a little bit fabulous.

(Adapted from Lobsters Scream When You Boil Them: And 100 Other Myths About Food and Cooking…Plus 25 Recipes to Get It Right Every Time)

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tsp. dried oregano

finely grated lime zest (at least 1 tbsp.)

1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh sage

8 cups vegetable broth

2 cups (1 pound) dried black beans, rinsed (and quality-controlled)

2 tbsp. (or more) lime juice

plain organic fat-free Greek yogurt

optional:

1 chipotle in adobo sauce, seeded and minced

¼ cup minced cilantro leaves

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium meat.

2. Add the onion and green pepper. Cook for about a minute and then add the garlic (and chipotle, if using). Stir, and then add the oregano, lime zest and sage.

3. Add the broth and stir to make sure nothing’s stuck to the bottom of the pot.

4. Add the beans and stir.

5. Jack the heat up to medium-high and bring the soon-to-be-soup to a low boil, stirring occasionally.

6. Put the lid on the pot and turn the heat to low, allowing the soon-to-be-soup to simmer.

7. Walk away. (But please don’t leave the house unattended. That wouldn’t be safe.)

8. It’ll be done in about 3 hours, when the beans tender, but not mushy.

9. Add the lime juice (and optional cilantro) and serve. Top each serving with a dollop of Greek yogurt.