Step 1

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat then add shallots/onions and jalapenos, season with salt and pepper, and saute until softened, 8-10 minutes. Add garlic cloves then saute until very fragrant, 1-2 minutes, then add chili powder and cumin and saute for 1 more minute. Add black beans, 3 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth then turn heat up to high to bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium/medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 2

If you like a thicker soup, transfer 2+ ladlefuls beans into a blender with a couple ladlefuls of broth then blend until very smooth and stir back into the soup. For a slightly thickened soup, blend just 1 ladleful beans plus a couple ladlefuls of broth. Add up to 1 cup additional stock/broth if necessary to reach desired consistency. Drizzle in lime juice then taste and add more salt/pepper if necessary, and then serve with toppings.