1 dried chipotle chili, stemmed
3 cups drained canned black beans, well rinsed or 11/2 cups dried beans (see note)
1 cup water, plus more as needed
1/3 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1/4 teaspoon chopped dried epazote, optional
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt, to taste
Grind the chipotle chili into a powder in a spice grinder. Puree the ground chipotle, beans, water, oregano, epazote and cumin in a blender until smooth. Thin with a little additional water, if necessary.Bring the soup to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Season with salt. Reduce the heat to low, and keep the soup hot until ready to serve.
