Crockpot Black Bean Soup

1. In a large pot, place the black beans in three times their volume of water. Set it over high heat, bring to a boil and let it boil 10 minutes. Cover the pot, remove from heat and let beans stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse.

2. In a crockpot, combine soaked black beans and 6 cups boiling water. Put the lid on and cook for 3 hours on high. Stir in carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bell pepper, jalapeno, lentils, and canned tomatoes. Season with chili powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper, red wine vinegar and salt. Put the lid on and cook on high for 2 hours.

3. Stir the rice into the crockpot and cook for an hour. Taste to make sure vegetables and rice are cooked thoroughly and are seasoned to taste. Puree the soup as desired with an immersion blender or by transferring 1/2 of the soup to a blender or food processor and processing it, then pouring back into the pot before serving.

4. Serve with sour cream and shredded cheese.