smoky black bean and rice stoup

what's thicker than soup, but thinner than stew? stoup! my favorite method of cooking is the chop, drop, and open. it's fast, easy, and leaves virtually nothing to clean up; which is nice after a long day of doing nothing but cleaning up. happy tasting!

courtesy of: rachael ray
serves: 4

- 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 bacon slices, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1c frozen corn kernels
- 2 15-oz cans black beans
- 1tbsp ground coriander
- 1tbsp chili powder
- 1-1/2tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 2tsp hot sauce
- coarse black pepper and coarse salt
- 1 15-oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
- 1qt chicken stock
- 1c white rice

1. heat a medium soup pot over med-hi heat. add the olive oil, then add the bacon and cook for 3-4 min to render the fat. add the bay leaf, celery, onions, and garlic and cook for 3-4 min to soften the veggies. add the corn and 1 can black beans and their juice. drain the other can, then add half the can of beans. mash the remaining half in the can with a fork to make a paste, then scrape them into the soup pot - this will make the stoup thick.

2. season the veggies and beans with the coriander, chili, cumin, worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. season the mixture with the salt and pepper to taste. stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and stock.

3. cover the pot and raise the heat to bring the stoup to a boil. add the rice and cook the stoup over a rolling simmer until the rice is tender but has a little bite left to it, 15 min. adjust the seasonings and serve.

*veggie friendly option: omit the bacon and substitute the chicken stock for veggie stock.