Weekly Recipes - Sofrito and Black Bean Soup

I love to cook.  For Christmas this year, I made my sister-in-law a cookbook of some of my favorite recipes.  I'm going to try to post a recipe I've tried and like once a week here so others can enjoy some of my favorite foods as well. 

This week, I'm going to share my sofrito recipe.  Sofrito is a base in a lot of Central American cooking, especially in Puerto Rican dishes.  I usually make a batch and freeze it in 1 cup portions.  That way, I can take it out and use it whenever I want without having to make it fresh every time.  It freezes well in quart ziplocks.  You can really use this sofrito in just about anything.  I use it as a condiment on top of homemade fries, as a sauce on top of chicken or mixed in with rice, and my favorite - in black bean soup (see recipe below).  Enjoy!

Sofrito
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, corsely chopped (about 4 cups)
2 green bell peppers, ribs and seeds removed, coarsely chopped (about 2 1/4 cups)
2 red bell peppers, ribs and seeds removed, coarsely chopped (about 2 1/4 cups)
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large tomato, cored and corsely chopped (about 2 cups)
3 cups fresh cilantro leaves and stems
salt
pepper

In a 5 quart Dutch oven or pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion. Cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes.  Add bell peppers, garlic, oregano, and cumin; cook, stirring often, about 10 minutes.  Add tomato; cook about 5 minutes, stirring ocassionally.  Transfer to a food processor.  Add cilantro and puree until slightly chunky.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Black Bean Soup
1 cup sofrito
2 15.5 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5 oz can reduced fat chicken broth
1/2 cup water
salt
pepper
12 teaspoons of fresh lime juice (fresh really tastes better than bottled!)
sour cream

In a medium saucepan heat sofrito over medium heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.  Stir in beans, chicken broth, and water.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.  Cook 5 minutes.  Puree with an immersion blender.  Season with coarse salt and ground pepper.  Immediately before serving, stir in 3 teaspoons of lime juice to each serving of soup.  Top with sour cream.