Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 medium onion
• 2 stalks celery
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 lb dry uncooked black beans
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 Tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water

Directions

1. Mince the garlic, cut the onion and celery into small dice, and grate the carrots against the large holes of a cheese grater. Rinse the black beans in a colander with cool water running over them, and remove any little stones or bits that do not belong.
2. Add the garlic to a 5-7 quart slow cooker, then add the onion and celery. Stir in the carrots, black beans, and salsa. Sprinkle in the chili powder, cumin, and oregano, pour in the vegetable broth and water, and mix everything together well.
3. Cover the slow cooker and set it on high for 6-8 hours, until the beans are very soft. When they are tender all the way through, blend the soup with an immersion blender until it turns thick and creamy, leaving some beans whole if you like that texture. Take a taste, then add salt if it needs it, depending on the vegetable broth you used.