Black bean soup

1 bag of dry black beans:  I cook these 25 minutes in a pressure cooker and allow natural pressure release rather than quick release.  It makes about 6 c of beans.  SAVE THE COOK
ING WATER.  Puree half the beans.  As you puree, add some of the bean cooking water until it is a consistency you like; otherwise it is like pudding instead of soup.

In a good-sized stock pot, saute 1 large chopped onion and 4-5 garlic cloves until they are a consistency you like.  I don't cook until soft, because I like a little crunch in the soup.

Add 1 T cumin, 1 T chili powder and about 1 t oregano, and cook for a minute more.  Add the pureed and the whole beans and cook about 15 minutes until heated through.  It's going to need salt; I use about 1-2 t, tasting frequently.

Fantastic for these cool, rainy evenings.  The recipe is based on the Bush's Black Bean Soup recipe, which uses less cumin and chili powder, and canned beans.  If you are really good at planning ahead, you can do the overnight soak of the dried beans, and cook 1-2 hours until the firmness you like, then follow the recipe as above.