Soup Chronicles : Easiest Soup Ever

  I have had a few requests for recipes from people who are convinced that my food is far too complex to cook . In reality it's generally fool-proof and welcomes substitutions . But , here's something I came up with after a long day at work in the cold. I wanted warm home made soup in a flash , and here is what I came up with. 5 ingredients and your imagination - that's it.
It is so easy your 5 year old can do it .

Get a big-ass pot and get it medium hot with a tablespoon of oil .
Dice (chop into teeny bits) 1 small or hallf a large onion and fire into the pot. Sizzle til they glisten and add 2-3 cloves of garlic (remove skins and chop) and do the same.

Fend off your cats while you grab a can opener.

Grab yourself a large (540ml / 19oz ) Can Black Beans and put the entire contents , liquid and all into the pan with half a can of water . Don't believe the old tale about rinsing canned beans , and if you are worried about bugs , buy kosher beans .

Deposit the contents of one tin Diced Tomatoes (796ml / 28oz) and bring to a light boil.

This would be the point that you add 1/2 cup of rice and stir.

Add salt and pepper to taste and spices you dig. If you want it hot , kick it up . The proteins love heat .
My suggestion
1 teas salt
1 teas pepper
1/2 teas coriander
1/2 teas chili powder ( I generally kick it up a bit by also adding a thai chile)
1-2 teas chives ( i buy them fresh and freeze them , but I don't expect you to be as obsessive)
A few splashes Maggi seasoning (you can go with Worcestershire )

Boil , then simmer until it reaches desired consistency . It can be a soup , reduced to a bean stew , or even used as a main over rice if you add corn instead of rice. This is a base for whatever you want to create and easily the most versatile staple recipe I know of . If I'm feeling like a prat , I'll take an immersion blender (that thing in your granny's house that looks like an outboard motor) to it for a creamy soup
Don't tell your sweetheart that this is low in fat , vegan , high in protein and iron , and has a whole host of handy-dandy artery-clearing vitamins and antioxidant thingys.

Takes 20 minutes to 45 depending on the use and whether or not you use rice. Enjoy!