Caribbean Black Bean Soup

Really yummy with a little zing to it! I made it for the ward Linger Longer yesterday,and received a lot of compliments on it.

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 8 0z pkgs pre diced onions ( I chopped a large onion)
2 sweet red peppers, 1/4 inch dice
2 jalapeno peppers, 1/4 inch dice
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp ground coriander (I finely chopped about 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro instead)
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp cayenne pepper ( I only used 1 tsp)
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
8 cans (15.5 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cartons vegetable stock 32 oz. each (I used 8 cups veg. stock that I made from bouillon)


Heat olive oil on Medium-High in large stockpot, 1 min, until oil is hot. Add onions; cook, stirring frequently, 3-4 min, until translucent. Stir in red pepper, jalapeno, and garlic, cook 2-3 min.

Add cumin, coriander, oregano, cayenne, and vinegar to onions and peppers; cook stirring 1 min.

Add black beans and vegetable stock; stir. Bring to a boil on High. Reduce heat to Medium. Simmer 20 min; stir occasionally.

Reduce heat to Low. Transfer half of bean mixture to a separate bowl; set aside.

Puree remaining bean mixture in pot with hand held blender (I used regular blender). Return reserved beans to pot. Stir, season to taste with salt and pepper( I didn't use any)

Beef and Vegetable Barley Soup

It's very kid friendly and a complete "dump it all in one pot" recipe. I forgot to take a picture the night we ate it, but I'll post one soon.

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. stew meat
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp oregano
2 beef bouillon Cubes
4 c. water
1 bay leaf
* 1 can (14.9 oz) mixed vegetables, undrained
*1/2c. barley

Heat oil in large saucepan and brown beef. Stir in onion and garlic. Cook until onion is tender. Stir in oregano, bouillon cubes, water and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer about 1 hour. Add vegetables and barley. Cook over medium heat 30 minutes. Serves 4.

*My variations: I used 1 cup of frozen vegetables and 1 1/2 c. barley that was already cooked(left over from another recipe.) Instead of cooking for an additional 30 min, I cooked until the vegetables thawed and warmed. I also added salt and pepper.