Black Bean Soup with rice

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, minced
4 garlic cloves
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
3 cans seasoned black beans, drained but not rinsed
1-1/2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth (OR vegetable stock)
1/4 tsp. cayenne

Toppings: sliced avocado, salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese, corn, chopped green onion, chopped fresh onion

For the Cilantro-Lime Rice:1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups water
1 T. olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
juice of 1/2 lime & grated zest of 1/2 lime

1-2 T. chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, then saute until soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 30 more seconds, stirring constantly. Add chili powder and cumin then saute for 30 more seconds.
2. Add drained beans, water, and chicken broth, bring soup to a boil, then lower heat slightly and simmer for 15 minutes. Scoop 2 ladle-fulls of soup into a blender or food processor, then blend until almost smooth. Alternatively use a hand-held immersion blender to process 1/3 of the beans in the soup pot. Add blended soup back into the pot then add hot sauce and stir to combine.
3. For the Chipotle-Lime Rice: While soup is simmering, bring water, oil, and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Add rice, place a lid on top, then turn heat down to medium-low and simmer until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir to fluff then add lime juice and chopped cilantro.
4. To serve, scoop cooked rice into bottom of bowls then top with hot soup. Top with sliced avocado, salsa, sour cream, etc.