TGI Fridays copycat Black bean soup

* 2 tbsp vegetable oil
* ¾ cup diced white onion
* ¾ cup diced celery
* ½ cup diced carrot
* ¼ cup diced green bell pepper
* 2 tbsp minced garlic
* 4 x 15 oz cans black beans
* 4 cups chicken stock
* 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
* 2 tspn chili powder
* ½ tspn cayenne pepper
* ½ tspn cumin
* ½ tspn salt
* ¼ tspn concentrated liquid smoke (hickory)
for garnish :
* shredded cheddar/Monterey jack cheese blend
* chopped green onion

1. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan over medium/low heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, and garlic to the oil and simmer slowly, for 15 minutes or until the onions are practically clear. Keep the heat low enough that the veggies don't brown.
2. While you cook the veggies, pour the canned beans into a strainer and rinse them under cold water.
3. Measure 3 cups of the drained and strained beans into a food processor with 1 cup of chicken stock. Puree on high speed until smooth.
4. When the veggies are ready, pour the pureed beans, the whole beans, the rest of the chicken stock, and every other ingredient in the list (down to liquid smoke), to the pot. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 50 to 60 minutes or until soup has thickened and all the ingredients are tender. Serve the soup topped with a couple tbsp of the cheese blend and a tspn or so of chopped green onion.

Makes six 1-cup servings.

Number of Servings: 10

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user GRIMGOOSE.