Black (Turtle) Bean and Rice Soup with Lime and Cilantro

     This is a simple Latin American soup made with readily available ingredients that store well for the long term. Black beans and cilantro can be grown fresh in your garden, and limes may be grown. Lemon could be substituted, and Meyer Lemon is a variety that can handle the temperatures in central Florida very well. Or what about sour orange? or unripe tangerines?
     If you are cooking the beans from dried stores, about half a cup of dried beans is all this recipe calls for, give or take a few.

Black Bean and Rice Soup with Lime and Cilantro(makes 6 servings, can be doubled for larger Crockpot or stovetop cooking, recipe created by Kalyn)

Ingredients:
2 cans black beans with liquid
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth
(use 2 cups for stovetop cooking)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp. minced garlic (or more)
1 T ground cumin
1 T dried oregano
1 1/4 tsp. ground chile powder
1/4 cup white long-grain rice (not more!)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (2 limes)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or more)

Instructions:

In small Crockpot or 3 quart sauce pan, combine beans, tomatoes, chicken stock, onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, Ancho chile powder and Chipotle chile powder. Cook on low for 6-8 hours in Crockpot or 1-2 hours on stove, until tomatoes are disintegrating and beans are starting to fall apart. On stovetop, you might need to add a little water during the cooking time.

When soup has reached the consistency you want, raise heat slightly or turn Crockpot to high. Add 1/4 cup rice and cook until rice is done, about 30 minutes for either Crockpot or stove.

Lower heat again, add fresh lime juice and cilantro and cook 5 minutes. Serve hot, with additional fresh lime pieces for each person to squeeze into soup.