Quick Mexican Black Bean Soup

1/3 cup olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped finely
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans (Do not drain.)
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
7 cups water
1 bouillon cube
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 Tablespoon cumin
2 Tablespoons lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream as garnish, with fresh cilantro all around.

1. Pour the olive oil into a good sized soup pot and heat.  Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes.  Add the garlic, jalapeno pepper, and tomatoes, and continue sautéing for another 2 minutes over medium heat, until it turns into a regular sauce.  Stir often.
2. Add the beans from their cans with their juice, potatoes, water, and bouillon.  Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium low.  Cover and cook slowly for about 20 minutes.

Add the cilantro, cumin, lime juice, salt and pepper.  Stir well and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.  Turn off heat, and let the soup rest, covered for 5 minutes.  Serve hot and garnish each serving with a teaspoon of sour cream in the center and freshly chopped cilantro around the sour cream.

TIM'S NOTES:  This soup comes from a monastery cookbook, makes a lot and is very brothy.  It is very monastic, so feel free to add more of anything you like.  One of the ways I made this soup easier to make was that I pureed the tomatoes and garlic together.  That way I avoided the fuss of peeling the tomatoes, and there is less chopping involved.  However, if you prefer to make the sofrito the traditional way, be my guest!  Jalapeno...You can use half or omit completely if you prefer.  You could also use the seeds and membranes if you like a spicier soup.  I prefer to de-seed and de-membrane and just chop the green fleshy part.
           As to the potato, I like a nice potato that is going to hold its shape, like a Yukon Gold, or a nice red.  However, using Russets does have its advantage.  Russets break down, and give a little thickness to the soup. I have also used a white sweet potato, which holds up well and adds some sweetness.
           Bouillon...This recipe doesn't specify which flavor.  I would prefer chicken, or vegetable (if you want to make this vegetarian) but I have found beef works well, too, if that is all you have.  You may want to add more bouillon (because you can).  The rule is 1 cube or 1 teaspoon per cup of liquid.
           Feel free to be liberal with the cumin and lime juice.  I also like to use fresh lime juice.  And please use the garnishes of sour cream and fresh cilantro.  They are vital to the flavor.  As I said, if you make this soup as the recipe stands, it is very "monastic".  The sour cream and fresh cilantro give the soup some body.