black bean & cheddar soup

so i bought this bag of dried black beans the other day hoping to kick start some healthier eating. i was trying to figure out what to do with them and decided to try making a soup. i've never used dried beans before, so a few things were new to me. first of all, you have to rinse them and take out any deformed or messed up beans. then, you have to spend at least 2 hours getting them to a somewhat mushy consistency. so this soup is best in a slow cooker or at least when the beans are prepared earlier in the day.

around lunchtime, i added 1.5 cup of dried black beans to a pot, and added hot (not cold) water to cover them about 2 inches above. bring the water to boiling on the stove, and let boil for 5 minutes. then remove from heat and cover with lid until 1 hour before i was ready to eat dinner. keep the water in the pot. then i added the rest:

black bean & cheddar soup
1.5 cups dried black beans, cooked as per above
1/2 cup cream of celery condensed soup
1/3 cup salsa (i used salsa verde)
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 cup white onion, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
bag cheddar cheese, grated
a few green onions, chopped into small pieces

heat a burner to medium-high on the stove, and return the beans to the heat in the pot they are already in. add the rest of the ingredients except the cheese and green onions. bring to boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for about 45 minutes. top with a generous heap of cheddar cheese and a few pieces of green onion. you can also use sour cream. makes about 8 servings.