Chicken, Black Bean, and Cilantro Soup

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, diced small
• 1 cup celery, diced small
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 T ground cumin
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 tsp. celery seed
• 1 tsp. garlic powder or garlic puree
• 4 cups homemade chicken stock
• 1 can vegetable broth
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 cup salsa
• 6-8 drops Green Tabasco Sauce or your favorite hot sauce
• 1 or 2 cans black beans
• 2 cups cooked chicken, cut in very small pieces
• 1 cup chopped cilantro leaves and stems, plus more for serving if desired
• 3 T fresh lime juice
• Cut limes, for serving, optional
• Sour cream, for serving, optional

Directions

1. Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot, then cook the onions and celery for 3-5 minutes, stirring now and then, until they have softened without taking on color.
2. Stir in the ground cumin, chile powder, celery seed, and garlic, and cook the spices with the vegetables for about 2 minutes longer.
3. Pour in the chicken stock, vegetable broth, tomatoes, and salsa. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and let it cook for 10 minutes.
4. Once those 10 minutes are up, check the heat level and stir in green Tabasco if you want more spice.
5. Add the black beans and chicken, then continue simmering for 15-20 minutes more.
6. While the pot is bubbling away, rinse and dry the fresh cilantro, then chop enough to measure 1 cup. Squeeze limes until you have 3 T juice.
7. When the 15-20 minutes are finished, stir in the chopped cilantro and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the lime juice and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
8. Ladle the soup while it is hot, with fresh limes for squeezing into the bowl, plus sour cream and extra chopped cilantro for topping if desired.
9. For a vegetarian version, use 3 cans vegetable broth in place of the chicken stock, skip the chicken, and use 3 cans black beans.