Spicy black bean mole soup

bprague

Here is my go-to recipe for a good nutritious soup with a warming spiciness.

1 rotisserie chicken, meat shredded OR 3 chicken breasts (seasoned and browned) thighs would work here, as well
2 cans of black beans OR dried black beans cooked
2 boxes of chicken broth (I have no idea how much that is... maybe something like 64 oz
salt
pepper
smoked paprika or regular paprika (around 1 tsp)
ground cayenne pepper (1/8 tsp for medium spice, 1/4 for more ambitious folks)
thyme (around 1 T)
parsley (around 1 T)
2 T ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp allspice
2 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped or sent through the garlic press)
1 T oil
1 whole onion, diced
3 sweet red peppers, diced
3-4 T tahini or natural peanut butter
1/4 C cocoa powder
2 T tomato paste
Carrots
3 sweet potatoes cubed ( I leave the skin on)
1 can chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
Green beans (tips snipped and into bite sized pieces)
Any other vegetable you might enjoy (I've done broccoli, beet, and swiss chard, all are good)

Saute onions and garlic with 1 T canola oil or olive oil until fragrant
Add peppers and cook until soft
Add herbs, spices (note, the spice of peppers will only dissolve in fat (it's hydrophobic), so now is the time to add it) and chipotle peppers with all the adobe sauce
Mix together in pot with your tahini or peanut butter (I use both), tomato paste, and the cocoa powder
Add bay leaf and broth- let simmer for 20 minutes
Fish out your bay leaves and puree this mixture with 1/4 of the black beans. If you like a thicker soup, use more.
Return to pot, add rest of the black beans, carrots, sweet potatoes and any long cooking vegetables as well as the chicken and simmer until all veggies are soft. Add your green beans and more delicate cooking vegetables later in cooking to prevent mush. Serve accompanied by cornbread or alone. Enjoy!