Slow Good

So I got a new book called The Vegan Slow Cooker by Kathy Hester....and it's amazing.  What could be better than a quirky 70s era Goodwill find cooking me dinner while I'm at work?  Only someone telling me what to put in said $13 purchase.  (Yes that's right, I bought my crock pot for $13 at Goodwill and it's 70s green & has a lobster on it). 

Today's recipe is one of the first I've cooked out of this book.  Hester spells it out for us with a cute little moon icon showing what to prep the night before and a sun icon showing what to do in the morning.  It really can't get any easier folks.  That's how I'll lay out this recipe (minus the icons).  The cook book calls for weird things like liquid smoke, so I adjusted the seasoning to our tastes.  Alas, I would call this an 'adapted' recipe:

Citrus Black Bean Soup
You decide how spicy it is; feel free to add red pepper flakes, cayenne, or hot sauce.

2 cloves garlic
4 15oz cans black beans, rinsed
1 15oz can fire roasted tomatoes w/chilies
1 tsp cumin
1 T herb & spice seasoning
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1 orange
Optional:
Fresh cilantro, avocado, and/or sour cream for garnish

The Night Before:  Mince the garlic and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

In the Morning:  Combine the garlic, beans, tomatoes, seasoning, and fruit juices in the slow cooker.  Cook on low for about 6-8 hours (depending on how hot your slow cooker runs).

Bam, that's that.  I served this with some homemade pineapple salsa and corn chips.  I don't have a recipe for that, but I'm pretty sure you can't screw it up.  Just combine in a mason jar:  canned crushed pineapple, chopped fresh cilantro, diced tomatoes (different colors!), teensy bit of diced red onion, minced garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper.  Put a lid on it; shake it up; let it sit while the soup is cooking.

Here's a 'before' shot of my jar.  The after one is the same just all mashed up and conglomerated (spell check did not underline this word so I am assuming it is real).

Tell me how much you love your slow cooker!