Crockpot Vegetarian Black Bean and Tomatillo Soup with Lime and Cilantro

Ingredients

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 8 tomatillos, chopped in 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 T finely minced garlic
• 1 T dried cilantro
• 2 tsp. dried Mexican Oregano
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed well
• 2 cans diced tomatoes with juice
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish if desired

Directions

1. Cut the onions and tomatillos so the pieces are roughly 1/4 inch. Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan, add the onions and tomatillos, and cook them for about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, dried cilantro, Mexican Oregano, and cumin, then keep sautéing for 1-2 minutes more.
2. While those vegetables are cooking, pour the beans into a colander set in the sink and rinse them until the foamy bubbles are gone.
3. Transfer the tomatillo and onion mixture to a large 4-5 quart crockpot. A 5 1/2 quart crock pot also works, and it will not be completely full.
4. Add the beans, tomatoes with their juice, vegetable broth, water, and brown rice.
5. Cook on high for 4 hours, or use low for 8 hours instead. Since slow cookers are not all the same, check yours and adjust the cooking time depending on how hot it runs.
6. After 4 hours, or after 8 hours if you cooked it on low, set the crockpot to low and let it go for 15 minutes so the temperature drops a bit. Stir in the fresh lime juice and cilantro, then cook on low for 10 minutes.
7. Serve hot, with more chopped cilantro on top if you like.
8. For a stovetop version, follow the same prep, but put everything into a medium sized soup pot and add 1 cup more water. Keep it at a very low simmer for about 1 hour, then lower the heat for 5 minutes. Add the lime juice and cilantro and simmer for 5 minutes more.
9. Serve it hot, with extra chopped cilantro if you want it.