Cleaning out the vegetable garden for the season is always a bittersweet experience for me. It is nice to get things tidied up in anticipation of next year's crops but hard to say good bye. Last Saturday, I was pleasantly surprised to discover dozens of fallen tomatillos that were still green and firm. Somehow, the idea of making salsa verde on our blustery late October day did not hold the same appeal for me than it did in late August. An internet search brought up a tasty sounding recipe and after making adjustments for the ingredients I had at home already, I put together thissoup to celebrate the final tomatillo harvest.

Black Bean & Tomatillo Soup

Adapted from The Wimpy Vegetarian

1 T Olive Oil
2 C Vegetarian No-Chicken Broth is what I use, regular Chicken Broth works too
1 1/2 c chopped onions
8 tomatillos husked and quartered
1 15 oz Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 c corn kernels fresh or frozen
1tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 T fresh squeezed lime juice
1 avocado, diced

Heat olive oil in a medium sized pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and tomatillos and saute until soft, about 12 minutes.

Add the black beans, cayenne, cumin and broth. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. ( If you are like our family and do not like the texture of whole beans, remove the pan from the heat at this point and bring to desired consistency with a stick blender). Add in corn and cook an additional 5 minutes. Stir in lime juice. Serve topped with avocado chunks.