Recipe of the Week: Slow Cooker Black Beans and Chorizo Soup

It's April and we're still doing well with keeping our fish-and-beans-once-a-week "diet" resolution. We were super busy this week and the temptation to eat out was definitely there, but we pushed through and managed to make dinner every night. Yay for us! Our favorite dish this week? Slow cooker black beans and chorizo soup. I did most of the prep work the night before, which saved me some time the next morning.

This black bean soup is easy to make, does not taste like chili, and does not feature mushy beans. You can top if off with either some creme fraiche, or some lime juice. It's versatile. You can even leave out the chorizo and use a vegetable broth to make it vegetarian.

Ingredients
1.5 cups dried black beans, soaked overnight
1 lb chorizo, sliced
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1.5 cups stewed tomatoes
2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
fresh cilantro, chopped finely
1 4-inch piece of kombu (optional)
salt, to taste

Directions
In a saute pan, brown onions over medium heat until translucent. Add in garlic and peppers, cook for an additional 5 minutes, then remove.
In the same pan, saute chorizo until nicely browned, then drain the fat.
Put all the ingredients into slow cooker, except for the cilantro. Stir well.
Cook on high for 5 hours. Test your beans. You might need a longer cooking time depending on how fresh or old your beans are.
Serve, topped with cilantro and either sour cream, lime juice, or a dollop of creme fraiche.