Black Bean Soup with Roasted Corn and Avocado Crème Fraiche

Here's our 3rd soup from our week of fall soups from Marcia Selden Catering.   This one is muy caliente, and incredibly easy to make... So which soup have you made? Take a picture and share it with us, we'd love to see it! #fallsoup

Quick Tip #3-Taste and season your soup throughout the cooking process, as the flavor enhances the longer the soup cooks.

Black Bean Soup with Roasted Corn and Avocado Crème Fraiche

*This soup can easily be made vegetarian by omitting bacon.
Simply sauté onions in olive oil.

INGREDIENTS
8 slices bacon, chopped
2 C. onions, sliced
6 garlic cloves, diced
4 C. chicken broth
1 C. canned pureed tomatoes
1 Tbs. chili powder
2 Tbs. cumin
4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ C. chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime
1 C. frozen corn kernels
1 C. crème fraise
1 avocado

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Arrange corn kernels on a sheet pan, drizzle with a little olive oil, and cumin. Roast for 10-12 minutes or until corn has begun to lightly brown. Remove and set aside.

Peel and dice avocado, and add to a blender with crème fraiche with a squeeze of lime juice. Process until smooth, store in the refrigerator in a bowl covered with plastic wrap until ready to use.

Place the bacon into a large heavy pot over medium heat. Cook about 5 minutes, add onions, stirring until they begin to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, chili powder and cumin.

Stir in beans, and turn heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Lower heat so the soup is simmering and cook for 10 more minutes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add juice from ½ lime and chopped cilantro.

Soup can either be eaten as is, or pureed with an immersion hand blender.

Garnish with a dollop of avocado crème fraiche and a sprinkling of roasted corn before serving. Note- a dash of hot sauce (or two) in the soup is awesome if you like a little heat!