From: The Simpler The Better by Leslie Revsin
Serves: 8
Difficulty: Moderate
People In The Kitchen: 3
Cost: $5
Prep Time: 5 minutes with helpers, 10 minutes by yourself
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Sides: Crusty bread + butter, sour cream

Ingredients:

12 strips bacon
6 large garlic cloves, minced
2 large jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4 cans (15 1/2oz each) black beans, liquid reserved
2 cans (14 1/2 oz each) vegetable broth

1. Cook bacon in a large saucepan over low heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Leave fat in the pan.

2. Stir garlic and half of each jalapeno and onion into bacon fat. Cook 2 minutes, stirring. Add beans and their liquid, broth, and salt to taste. Simmer 10 minutes.

3. Puree 3/4 cup of soup in a blender until smooth. Stir into remaining soup. Add remaining jalapeno and onion, and season with pepper to taste. Serve hot, with sour cream and crumbled bacon on top.

Reaction: This is a community group and all around favorite. Even really picky eaters have liked it.

Group Size: When doubled, feeds a group of 10, guys and girls

Group Involvement: 1 person can fry the bacon, 1 person can chop veggies, 1 person can open cans. I usually keep an eye on the soup as it cooks and add in pepper and salt and such.

Alterations: To speed up cook time, I sometimes make the bacon in the microwave (basically, put it on a plate, cover it with a paper towel, and nuke it on high for about 2-4 minutes). Drain the bacon fat into a pan when you are finished. I also only use 1 onion, but sometimes I toss in an extra jalapeno pepper. I prefer a mix of veggie + chicken broth, and I like to use Johnny’s seasoning salt.

If I made this again: There isn’t much I’d change.

Leftovers: I refrigerate any leftovers in a tupperware container–they stay good for about a week.