Herbed Black Bean Soup

• 1 pound dried black beans
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 1-1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1/2 cup each chopped green, sweet red and yellow peppers
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup no-salt-added tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt-free seasoning blend
• 3 bay leaves

1. Place beans in a Dutch oven or soup kettle; add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1 to 4 hours or until beans are softened. Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid.
2. Return beans to pan; add broth and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the beans are almost tender. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the onions, celery, carrot, peppers and garlic in oil until tender.
3. Add the tomato paste, herbs and seasonings to the bean mixture. Add the sauteed vegetables; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour or until beans are tender. Discard bay leaves.

black beans, lowsodium, water, onions, celery, carrot, green, garlic, olive oil, nosalt, fresh parsley, fresh oregano, thyme, ground cumin, pepper, salt, bay leaves

Taken from www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/herbed-black-bean-soup/ (may not work)