BLACK BEAN & CORN CHOWDER

BLACK BEAN & CORN CHOWDER
Ingredients:
•4 strips bacon, sliced in 1/4-inch pieces
•1 diced onion
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•1 quart chicken broth
•2 (15-oz) cans black beans, drained
•2 cups fresh corn, or frozen sweet corn, thawed
•1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder, optional
•1/2 tsp dried oregano
•salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Preparation:
Add bacon to a cold saucepan, and over medium heat, cook until the bacon is crisp. Reserve bacon, and leave 2 tablespoons bacon fat in the pan. Over medium heat sauté the onions with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes, or until it becomes translucent.

Add the garlic, sauté for 2 minutes, and then pour in the broth, and half the reserved bacon. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer for 20 minutes.

If a thicker soup is desired, take a potato masher and carefully mash some of the black beans against the bottom of the pan. This will thicken the soup. The more you mash, the thicker the soup will get. After mashing some of the black beans, let it simmer for another 10 minutes to achieve the desired texture.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot with the remaining bacon over the top as a garnish