No-Soak Black Bean Soup Recipe

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
7 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound dried black beans, rinsed and drained
5 cups water
3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
2 (4-ounce) cans chopped green chilies, undrained
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 dried bay leaves
½ cup sour cream
½ medium red bell
pepper, finely chopped
½ medium white onion, finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro

1. Add olive oil to a 5-quart slow cooker and turn it to the highest setting. Stir in yellow onion and cook 5 minutes. Add green bell pepper, garlic, beans, water, vegetable broth, chilies, cumin, thyme, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Cover and cook on high at least 8 hours.
2. Remove bay leaves. Before serving, blend with a hand mixer or hand-held submersible blender until the mixture is thick, with beans, onion and peppers visible.
3. Ladle into soup bowls and top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 teaspoon each red bell pepper and white onion. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serves 8.

Nutritional facts per serving: 270 calories, 5g fat, 13g protein, 45g carbohydrates, 16g fiber, 460mg sodium.