There’s something wonderful about a hearty and easy to make soup. Now that the weather is colder suddenly freezing, I needed something warm and fast for dinner last night. After my last go-round with tomatillos, I decided to do something a little more weather-appropriate with this batch and came up with a black bean and tomatillo soup.

Soups are one of my absolute favorite things to throw together, usually on a lazy Sunday in the winter I’ll be in the kitchen whipping up something to satisfy our dinner needs as well as any lunch packing for Monday. I think the fact that I was able to make this on a weeknight, before we both starved, and it packed well for lunch the next day, means it is on my “make again and again” list.

What you’ll need:

• 5 tomatillos (about one cup pureed)
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 3 cups low-sodium veggie broth
• 3/4 cup brown rice
• 2 TBS lime juice (about 1/2 a lime)
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• sliced avocado, for garnish (optional)
• red pepper flakes, for garnish (optional)

Start by mincing and chopping the onion, garlic and jalapeno (to be quick about it, throw everything in your kitchen ninja – saves the eye sting from the onion too – bonus!) Add olive oil, garlic, jalapeno and onion to a sauce pan on medium heat. While that’s cooking, puree the tomatillos in a food processor or kitchen ninja.

One onions are translucent, add the brown rice and cumin and stir. Then add tomatillos and broth, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and cover. Let the mixture simmer until the rice is cooked – about 35 minutes. Once the rice is ready, add lime juice, black beans and cilantro and stir well. Let the soup sit for another 5-10 minutes, until the beans are warmed and everything is well mixed.

Serve with sliced avocado and red pepper flakes. This soup was hearty and filling and definitely warmed us up. Next time I may add a bit of cashew cream for a smoother, creamier take on the soup, but this was terrific just as it was. A little spicy, a lot of flavor, and totally perfect for curling up on the couch and taking the chill off. If you’re freezing too, this may be the soup for you. (oh look! and now I rhyme)