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There are many superstitions revolving around New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. I’ve never really paid much attention to them before or even knew about most of them. Some of them are odd, to say the least. One such superstition says not to do laundry, wash dishes or wash your hair. Doing so will wash away any good luck you may have and may even bring ‘death to the family’. Not knowing about these superstitions until recently, I am pretty sure that at the very least I have always done dishes on New Year’s Day. Why? Because there are always dishes that need cleaning, and laundry that needs washing, I’m guessing many people are taking advantage of their day off to get things done.
It was while trying to decide what to make for dinner that I came across these superstitions. Apparently, it is good luck to eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. Well, it just so happens that I have a package of Black Bean Soup Mix in the pantry that has black-eyed peas in it. Well, maybe I’ll get some of the luck back that I washed away with the dishes this morning.
Rinse and sort the beans to make sure they are clean with no foreign material present. You can make this with just black beans or with a bean mix. You could also make it with canned beans but you’ll need to reduce the cooking time. I use a Reynolds Slow Cooker Liner in my crockpot to make cleaning up afterward easier.
Add the beans, chopped vegetables, broth, and seasonings to the slow cooker (tomatoes can make beans tough, so add them later). Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, then add the tomatoes and turn to low for 2 hours. If using canned beans cook on low for 6 hours. If you want a creamier soup, carefully take out 2 cups of beans and blend them in a blender, then add them back into the soup. Add the corn, and let it heat for a few more minutes. Serve with your favorite toppings. It tastes similar to chili, so cheese, sour cream, avocados, cilantro, olives, or salsa all make good toppings.
Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 pound black bean soup mix
- 1 onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 Tbs chili powder
- 1 Tbs cumin
- dash cayenne pepper
- 8 cups broth (vegetable, tomato, chicken, or beef)
- 15 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 15 oz can corn, drained
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse and sort beans, no need to soak them since we're slow cooking.
- Add the beans, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, spices, 8 cups broth, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
- If the soup has thickened too much, add more broth. Add the tomatoes and turn the heat to low for two hours.
- For a creamier soup carefully take out and blend 2 cups in a blender, and add it back into the slow cooker. Stir in the corn and let heat for 5-10 more minutes. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot with your favorite toppings.
