Black Bean and Chorizo Soup

1 lb dried black beans
12-18 oz of chorizo -preferably the already cooked through sort, cut up into small bits
10-12 baby carrots or 2-3 normal ones, chopped up
1 large yellow onion, also chopped
1/2 a poblano pepper, yes this is also chopped
3-5 cloves garlic, minced, to taste
1 small can diced tomatoes in juice
2-3 cups baby arugula or baby spinach - this is a good way to use up some that is a bit far gone for salad
coriander, cumin, cilantro, oregano, salt, pepper

Soak the beans overnight, or use the 'hot soak' method (this should be listed on the bag).  After your beans are soaked, remove them from the pan and drain them.  Preheat your oven to 250-300 and put a dutch oven or large heavy soup pot (I love my lecruset for this) on the stove with a little bit of olive oil.  Add the onion, carrot, poblano, and chorizo to the pan with a bit of salt (do not use much salt until beans are cooked through, it can interfere with their cooking process), pepper, and cumin seeds and cook them until the veggies are a bit caramelized and the chorizo has rendered out some of its fat. Add the garlic and the can of tomatoes and stir in several cans full of water.  Put the black beans back into the pot, making sure they are covered with the water.  Season with the coriander oregano and cilantro, and put the greens onto the top so that they will wilt in.  Boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for about 30 mins on top of the stove, covered. 

Then put the whole pot in the oven for at least 2 hours, longer if you like your bean soup really mushy.  Check the water level periodically, adding more if the beans have soaked up too much of it.  You can process about 1/2 of the soup in a food processor or go at the whole thing with a potato masher to make the texture thicker if you like when it is done cooking.  At the end, taste for salt and add to your liking, as well as adding some more garlic and herbs if they are needed. 

Serve on its own or over rice or tortilla chips with avocado, tomato, hot salsa, limes, cheese, sour cream, etc for people to customize their dish with.  This soup has a complex flavor but is really mild, so your guests can really tweak it to suit themselves.  Or, if you have no guests you can have it a different way every night until it is gone so you don't get sick of it.