Spaghetti Squash Black Bean Soup with Kefir Cheese

The saga of squash soups continues! With all the black bean broth left over from my crockpot black beans and a new batch of chipotle sauce, I decided this was a perfect opportunity for another take on squash soup. The pureed black beans and broth were a lovely texture addition to the soup and the tangyness of the kefir cheese with toasted cumin seeds was perfect.

Squash Soup with Black Beans (makes a LOT - approximately 4 L of soup)
2 spaghetti squash, cooked and peeled
2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled, chopped, and roasted (approx 40 min in a 400 degree F oven with olive oil)
4 celery ribs, chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 large onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
8 c. water
500 mL bean broth + 2-3 c. black beans pureed with 2 c. broth (a total of ~ 3/4 L was added)
4-6 Tbs ground cumin
1/4 - 1/2 c. Chipotle sauce
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar (or fresh lime juice)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Once the squash and sweet potatoes are cooked, sauté the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic in olive or canola oil until the onions are translucent and all the veggies are fragrant.
2. Add water, cumin, squash, sweet potatoes and bean broth and bring to a boil. Simmer until all the veggies are soft (or not if you like texture). Use an immersion blender to puree the soup.
3. Add in the pureed black beans, chipotle sauce, cider vinegar, and salt to taste. Let simmer for another 20-30 minutes and adjust seasonings as needed.

Excellent served with more chipotle sauce for those who like it spicier, or kefir cheese stirred together with a bit of salt and ground toasted cumin seeds. (Alternately you could add sour cream)

Photo to come