What’s cooking in Esther’s Kitchen: the Earth Day episode.

We’re back in the kitchen, and we’ve got something really special for you this time. To celebrate Earth Day, we thought what could be better than a soup that helps you generate your own wind power? And with that, we proudly present “Esther’s Black Bean Soup” aka. “The Wind Maker.”

Esther's Black Bean Soup
Cuisine: Esther Approved, Soup, GF
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 6 cups or 1-1/2 litres
Author: Chef Linda | Esther’s Kitchen

Ingredients
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 medium organic yellow onion, diced
• 2 whole organic garlic cloves
• 1 cup salsa-mild, medium or hot (your heat choice)
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 (15.5 oz/458ml)) cans organic black beans, undrained, unrinsed
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, adjust to taste

Garnish
Fresh cilantro leaves, non-dairy sour cream or non-dairy plain yogurt, tortilla chips or flour tortillas

Cooking Method
1. Add the olive oil, onion and garlic to a medium size soup pot. Sauté the onions and garlic for 5 minutes over medium-high heat or until the onions are translucent and softened.
2. Add the remaining soup ingredients to the soup pot. Stir to combine. Cover the pot with a lid and turn the burner to high. Bring the soup to a boil. Turn the heat off once the soup begins to boil.
3. Purée the soup in the pot with a hand immersion blender. Or allow the soup to cool down slightly before pouring the soup into a blender. Blend until puréed. Be careful removing the lid off the blender pitcher because the steam will be hot.
4. Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Garnish with sour cream, cilantro leaves, and a side of corn tortilla chips or warm flour tortillas. Serve the soup with salt and pepper to taste.