I started with the recipe off the bag of black beans I had in the pantry, but it was a little bland frankly. Here’s about what I ended up with, which was good, but still a little milder than I’d prefer.

* 1 pound black beans

Rinse and soak overnight in water, or bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let sit one hour.

* 8 cups water

* 3 bay leaves

* 1/2 tsp celery seeds

* 1 cup chopped celery

* 1/2 tsp dry mustard

Simmer about an hour, until starting to soften.

* 1 onion, diced

* 2 cloves garlic, minced

* 1 Tbs oil

Heat the oil and then saute the onion and garlic until softened. Add to the beans along with:

* 2 Tsp chili powder

Simmer another hour.

If you’d like add 1/2 to 1 cup diced ham for some more flavor. I did.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream in each bowl. Add some salsa if you’d like!