The rich broth that comes from black beans is delicious. This is a chunky, flavorful vegetable soup.

• 1 tablespoon oil or ¼ cup vegetable broth, for sautéing
• 1 cup leeks, chopped
•  ½ red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained or you can use homemade
•  2 (15 oz) cans fire-roasted tomatoes
•  1 cup of corn, frozen or fresh
•  3-4 cups vegetable broth or water
• 2 teaspoons Deb’s Seasoning (page 269)
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
•  2½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes or 1 fresh Serrano chile, seeded, finely diced
•  2 tablespoons of vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
•  1 teaspoon salt
• Juice from ½ lime

Heat oil or broth in soup pot over medium heat. Sauté leeks until soft and tender, then add garlic and red bell pepper. Cook for about two minutes.  Stir in Deb’s Seasoning, cumin and salt until well combined. Add black beans, tomatoes, corn, vegetable broth, red pepper flakes, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Turn to low heat and cook for about 15 minutes.  Lower heat to simmer. For a thicker soup, pour half of the soup into a blender and pulse a couple of times or blend in the pot with an immersion blender. Right before serving, season the soup with lime juice to brighten flavors. Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Another option is to add a half cup of cooked rice to bottom of bowl before pouring in soup.

Hint:

Leeks can have a lot of sand and dirt in their leaves. To wash leeks, start by cutting off the top roots and then the greens 2 inches below the white part. Halve leeks lengthwise. Soak in a sink or a bowl of water for a few minutes, swishing back and forth a bit. Sand will fall to bottom of sink. Rinse, drain and chop as needed.