2 serrano chiles, finely diced (seed and fiber removed if you prefer it more mild, or left in for heat)
2 ribs diced celery
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin seed
6 to 8 cups vegetable or chicken stock
28 oz can diced tomatoes in juice
2 carrots, scrubbed and sliced in 1/4" rounds
3 lbs Idaho® potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/2" dice
1/2 lb green beans, stemmed and cut into 1/2" lengths
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, cut into 3/4" dice
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced into 1/2" pieces
1 1/4 c or 1 15-oz can cooked black beans, drained
Salt 1 teaspoon or to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Corn chips, baked or fried optional - for garnish
Cheddar cheese, grated optional - for garnish
Cilantro, sprigs optional - for garnish
Instructions:
Spray Dutch oven with cooking spray and heat olive oil. Sauté onion over medium heat, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add chiles and celery, and sauté 1 minute more.
Add chili and cumin, and sauté, stirring constantly, another minute.
Pour 6 cups of the stock over sauté, along with juice from canned tomatoes (reserve the diced tomatoes themselves for later use in the recipe).
Bring stock-juice mixture to a boil, and drop in carrots, potatoes, green beans and butternut squash. Cover. Turn down heat to simmer, and let cook about 30 minutes, or until vegetables are very tender.
Lift lid and add tomatoes, zucchini, beans, salt, black pepper, sweetener, and allspice.
If you'd like the soup more "brothy", at this point add the additional 2 cups stock, and bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer. Simmer for another 10 minutes, and taste for seasonings. Serve very hot, with the optional whole corn chips pointing up out of the soup (like sharks' fins), a good solid sprinkle of cheddar melting on top, and a few cilantro sprigs.