Cold Black Bean Soup

It's getting hot in here, so ......... You know how the rest of the song goes.

When it gets hot, I tend to spend less time in the kitchen cooking, unless I'm testing recipes for Robyn Webb. Instead, I try to come up with quick, delicious and cooling recipes that will be filling, but not heavy, and would not increase the temperature in my little studio apartment.

Here's just such a recipe: Cold Black Bean Soup.

Ingredients
2 cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large can of diced tomatoes (with juices)
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon toasted cumin seeds
2 cloves garlic
1 roasted chipotle pepper, seeds removed
1 cup liquid (water or vegetable broth or chicken broth)
salt & pepper

toppings
sour cream
fresh tomatoes
avocado
cilantro

Directions
1. In a food processor puree all of the soup ingredients. Chill.
2. Serve the soup topped with sour cream, halved cherry tomatoes, cubes of avocado and fresh cilantro.

You can eliminate some of the liquid from the soup and make it into a dip.

For other cold soup ideas check out Melon & Mango cold soup, Gazpacho, Pureed Beet Soup and Russian Cold Beet Soup with Cucumbers and Buttermilk.

What are your favorite cold soups? What do you cook when the weather gets hot?