Black bean confetti soup

Leftovers are so great, right?!  Already cooked, so only a few minutes in the microwave stand between you and a satisfying meal that's big on flavor but not on prep time.

No, I'm not talking about turkey or any other Thanksgiving leftovers.  Since we were guests at Matt's parents' house for the meal, we missed out on my favorite part of the feast -- a fridge full of containers with excess turkey, green bean casserole (my favorite!), stuffing, and cranberry sauce.  Womp womp.

(By the way, if you happen to be one of the lucky ones with leftovers, say turkey and cranberry sauce, make yourself a delish Thanksgiving panini for lunch today or dinner tonight.  It's a meal in a sandwich, people, and you won't be disappointed.)

Since we're sans turkey around these parts, I had to visit the grocery store ASAP and fill our very empty post-vacation refrigerator and pantry.

Venturing out into the city to run errands during the very first snow of the season really put me in the mood for warm and filling comfort food.  That and knowing that our boxed up Christmas decorations were waiting for me when I walked in the door, ready to be freed from their seasonal cardboard dungeons and hung around the apartment in a merry fashion.

Just like that, the notion I had of making a platter of fresh vegetables and hummus with some fruit for a light lunch vanished.  I wanted nothing to do with cold finger foods.  Instead, I wanted a bowl full of something warm and yummy to wrap my hands around as I sat in front of the fire yule log on TV.  So, I did what I do best when I want something that doesn't yet exist: I made it!

It being the most incredible-smelling, out-of-this-snowy-world-tasting, soul-warming black bean confetti soup!

Confetti soup because of the assortment of tender vegetables of every color.  Multi-colored meals are a feast for the eyes and the stomach, I tell ya!  Black beans, white onions, green celery, orange carrots, red tomatoes, and yellow corn.

I even added a little shredded cheddar and sour cream for more color.  Yes.  That's it.  Because the pairing of salty cheese and smooth sour cream isn't the kind of thing that will have me praising the heavens.  The kind of delicious that would cause me to eat a whole can of these.

Come to think of it, crumbling a handful of those chips over this soup would be add such a tasty crunch.  Reminds me of the wonders that Fritos can do for a bowl of chili.  Yet another cozy dish.  Sensing a pattern?

Anyway, let's discuss the aforementioned leftovers, shall we?  I devoured black bean soup for lunch on Sunday.  And then a little as a mid-afternoon snack.  And then a big bowl reheated at work for lunch on Monday.  I know this may be hard to believe, but this soup got better every single time I slurped it!

Like I said, leftovers = the best.  The best!


Black Bean Confetti Soup
(an original recipe!)
-serves 5-6

A few notes: If you don't have a food processor or chopper, simply use the back of a spoon or potato masher to smash one can's worth of drained black beans through a mesh strainer.  To make this soup even heartier, feel free to cube or shred a cooked chicken breast or two and add it before simmering the soup.

1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
1 white onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 large carrot, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/2 Tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (14.5 ounce) cans black beans, divided & drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup frozen corn
Salt
Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving (optional)
Sour cream, for serving (optional)

In a mini food chopper or food processor, process one can of beans and tomatoes and juice until smooth; set aside.  In a large stock pot over medium heat, saute oil, onion, celery, and carrots for 5 minutes until soft.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.  Add chili powder, cumin, pepper, broth, whole beans, and corn and bring soup to a boil.  Add bean and tomato puree and simmer for 15 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.