Curried Black Bean Soup

I thought it would be nice to share a recipe as a Happy Thanksgiving greeting, even though this soup is not at all a traditional Thanksgiving food. It is a nice soup for winter for those who like black beans and who like the flavor of curry. The recipe comes from my friend, the artist Lynn Rosenfeld, who gave it to me years ago after I had enjoyed the soup at her house. It's pretty easy and straightforward, though you do have to soak the beans overnight before cooking. Some of the beans are pureed in a food processor to give a smooth background to the soup.

2 teas butter
2 teas olive oil  (I used closer to 1 Tbs of each)
1 medium onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teas curry powder (I used a hot curry, but I'm sure it's good with a mild one also)
1/2 teas ground coriander
1 cup black beans, soaked overnight
8 cups water or broth
1 1/2 teas salt
1/2 teas pepper
cilantro for garnish

1. Place oil, butter, onion, and carrot in a saucepan and cook at medium heat until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in garlic, cook a couple of minutes; add curry and coriander and cook two minutes more, stirring. 
3. Add beans and broth or water, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until beans are nearly soft, then add salt.
4. When beans are fully cooked, put about half the beans in a food processor and process until smooth. Return the pureed beans to the pot. Add more salt if needed, and pepper. 
5. Serve with chopped cilantro; it adds a bright flavor to the soup

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!