Downtown Black Bean Soup

Servings: 6
Ingredients:

2    And 1/2 quarts water or
-vegetable stock and stir
-into it
2 c  Black beans and 2 bay
-leaves.

Bring to a boil

Turn down the heat and let simmer a couple of hours until the beans start
to get tender, then heat 1/4 to 3/4 cup olive oil (how much will your
conscience allow?) and cook in it until tender but not browned

3 onions, chopped 2 green peppers, chopped 1 fresh jalepeno pepper, chopped
(optional) 4 to 6 cloves of garlic, pressed 1 to 3 teaspoons salt, maybe
more (taste it)

Stir this mixture into the simmering black beans and let cook until quite
tender and flavorful. More salt may be needed, and if you have a chance to
let the soup sit overnight at this point, it will be even better. If
desired, puree half or all of this to smoothness; we like it half-pureed,
half-chunky. If you do puree it, be sure to reheat it before serving it,
either as is or Cuban-style: bowls of steaming hot white rice and dishes of
chopped raw onions are on the table, and each person stirs as much or as
little rice and onions as they wish into their soup.

From: The Dairy Hollow House Cookbook Crescent Dragonwagon with Jan Brown