Reviewed: Aug. 20, 2008

This recipe was awesome! I did make some of the suggested changes. I used a red pepper, 1 stalk of celery, about 1/4 C. of frozen corn, a healthy dash of cayenne, 4 cloves of garlic and 1/2 tsp. of cumin. Once done, I stirred in the juice of 1/2 a fresh lime. Also, I salted the veggies while sauteing in the beginning, so I didn't use any more in the recipe. Garnished with sour cream, salsa, cilantro, and finely grated cheddar-jack cheese. We had corn muffins on the side to dip in the soup. My husband, who is not a big bean eater loved it. Thanks for the post!

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Reviewer:

Candace J.

Reviewed: Jul. 13, 2008

I made this for dinner tonight and LOVED it. The only change I made was to use 1/2 a tsp of cumin and 1 tsp of salt (i like things a little saltier than most people). It's a great rainy day meal.

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Marny

Reviewed: Jun. 30, 2008

I thought this was a great recipe. I only needed two servings so I halved everything and it was still very good. Using just one can of beans, I poured off one half and then used two forks to "puree" the other half inside the can. I also found myself short on chicken broth and cubed ham, so I cooked up some bacon and then used the grease and some water as a substitute. NOT the healthiest option, but it was scrumptious!

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J.T. Newberry

Reviewed: Jun. 1, 2008

A must have basic recipe. It can be adjusted based on what happens to be in your cupboard at the time, and tastes fantastic anyway. It is easily converted to a vegetarian dish, and a penny pincher side dish on Mexican night using frozen stew vegetables, dried seasonings and bullion cubes.

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Reviewer:

AMYLEW2

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Reviewed: May 28, 2008

This was very good I didnt use canned beans though I was looking for low cost family meals this one was good from the littlest on up I served with cheese cubes and home made tortillas and no complaints across the board my hubby even looks forward to next time.

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Reviewer:

Sarah Harness

Cooking Level: Beginning

Home Town: Parsons, Kansas, USA

Reviewed: Apr. 16, 2008

This was AWESOME! However, I'm giving it 5 stars with my addition of 1/2 of one chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. I also added a tiny potato, minced, that I needed to use up, and I only had 1/2 of a green pepper, but otherwise I stuck to the recipe (I didn't measure the ham, but only used 1/2 lb). I wonder if the author intended for the juice from the beans to be added? I drained and rinsed mine, but it made it hard to puree the beans in the blender, so I ended up just adding some of the soup to the blender with the beans. Honestly, I think it would be hard to mess up this soup. It's easy, quick & goes great with cornbread & yams (we skipped the toppings, since I think they'd take away from the character of the soup).

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Reviewer:

J.Marie

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Buffalo, Wyoming, USA

Reviewed: Apr. 6, 2008

This was great. Quick, delicious, easy and made from ingredients I usually have on hand in my pantry. My husband even loved it and he is not a fan of ham. The only substitution I made was using shredded pepper jack cheese instead of cheddar, which gave it a nice kick. Will definitely make again.

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Reviewer:

AMYKATED

Cooking Level: Expert

Reviewed: Apr. 6, 2008

I pureed the broth, veggies and 1 can of beans for a flavorful base, without veggie chunks....then added the 2nd can of whole beans. 3 cloves of garlic was a bit much, so I added a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes with cilantro and lime at the end to cut the garlic flavor. Yummy! (Also omitted the ham).

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Reviewer:

Kimtastic

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Gardner, Massachusetts, USA

Reviewed: Mar. 19, 2008

We substituted onion with scallion and only used one garlic clove. Also added 2 tsp of lime juice on recommendation of other reviews. This is one of my favorite recipes thus far. It is going in my permanent recipe book to make for guests!

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Reviewed: Mar. 2, 2008

Holy Moly! This was my first time making black bean soup and this was FANTASTIC! I doubled the beans and chicken broth and used the refried black beans, which had some jalapenos in them. I also put 1 tsp cumin, some cayenne, some lime juice, and a little celery. I put some tabasco in when serving, and put some diced tomatoes with jalapenos and chives on top. SOOOOO very good - can't wait to make again!!!

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