Prep Time  1 hour

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter
½ cup unbleached flour
2 tablespoons vegetable base
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped Vidalia or sweet onions
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 bay leaves
2.5 quarts water
1 cup of chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
4- 15 ounce good quality canned black beans, strained, and reserved
1- 28 ounce can of stewed tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

In a stainless steel soup pot, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the cumin, cinnamon, carrots, celery, and onions. Let this mixture sauté for 5 minutes until there is some color on the vegetables. Add the flour, and continue to stir for an additional 5 minutes.

Add the water, and chicken base, continue to stir.

Add the black beans, stewed tomatoes, and bay leaf. Cook this mixture on low heat for 20 minutes.

Lastly, remove the bay leaves, add the parsley, and season with salt and pepper.

Garnish with sour cream, or crème fraiche.