Black Bean Soup

I forgot to take a picture of this before it was gobbled up, but it's definitely worth a try!  It was passed on to me from a magazine and I adapted the recipe so I could make it in the slow cooker.  If you would like the original recipe just let me know!

Ingredients:

4 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 c. minced shallots
1 c. minced onion
2 t. ground cumin
4 t. chili powder
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
3 c. beef broth
4 oz. Canadian bacon, diced (about 5 slices)
1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced
Cheddar cheese

Directions:
Set aside 2 cups of the black beans.  Puree the remaining beans and tomatoes in a food processor or blender until smooth.  Pour mixture into a 4.5-quart crock pot or larger.  Add in reserved beans, squash, onions, shallots, garlic, and broth, but don't stir.  Heat the canadian bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.  Add to the crock pot and cook on low for about 8 hours.  Add in the spices, stirring and adding more broth if it is too thick.  Serve with shredded cheese, tortilla strips, and/or sour cream.