Freezes and ages well. The black-bean soup you are about to make freezes well, so you can make the whole recipe, even if there are only two of you. It also survives in the refrigerator for a week and gets better every time you reheat it.

Serve the soup with the best crusty bread you can find, preferably whole wheat, and if you want to enrich the meal, spread the bread with some fresh goat cheese.

8 to 12 oz. coarsely chopped onion, available at many salad bars
2 ribs celery, diced
2 tsp. minced garlic in oil
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 (16 oz.) cans black beans, thoroughly rinsed and drained
5 c. water
2 c. chopped and canned tomatoes
1 lg. green pepper, coarsely chopped
4 scallions, chopped
1/2 to 1 Jalapenos, minced
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried
1 bay leaf
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro per serving

Saute the onion, celery and garlic in hot olive oil in a nonstick skillet until the onion begins to soften and brown.

Combine the beans with the water, tomatoes, green pepper, scallions, Jalapeno, cumin, oregano, bay leaf and black pepper in a large pot. Cover, and bring to a boil. When the onion mixture is cooked, add it to the beans, and simmer 5 to 10 minutes.

Puree 4 cups of the soup mixture in a blender or food processor; return to the pot, and continue to heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

To serve, remove the bay leaf, and spoon the soup into large bowls. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Yield: about 12 cups.