Here is a hearty way to warm your family during the winter months, serve this soup with a green salad and warm, buttered tortillas or a slice of sourdough bread. Of course don’t forget the Grady Family vineyards wine. Any of our reds would be great with this meal.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbls. Vegetable oil 1 tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 onion , diced ½ tsp. chile powder
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 16 oz. can diced tomatoes 2 15 oz. cans black beans 2 cups chicken or vege. stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbls. llme juice add salt and pepper to taste

Optional garnishes: sour cream, chopped cilantro. chopped green onions and/or thin slices of  avocado

Heat oil in a 2 or 3 qt. pot.

Saute onion and garlic over med. Heat for 10 min,, stirring occasionally.

Stir the cumin, oregano and chile powder, and sauté for 2 more min.
Drain and discard any liquid from the tomatoes, and add them to the pot along with the black beans, stock and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 50 min. add lime juice and simmer 10 more min.

Remove the bay leaf and discard. Taste soup and adjust seasonings by adding salt and pepper or Tabasco as desired.

Soup can be served chunky with whole beans, or pureed in a blender if you prefer smoother consistency.