All the lonely tamales

My dad loves to buy fresh-made tamales by the truckful from a local Mexican market that's owned by one of my brother's friends.  I usually reap the benefits of these tamale runs, since my dad always brings me back a bag of them.  This Christmas, my dad and stepmom hosted dinner, and they bought tamales at another Mexican shop.  These tamales seemed more filling, and by the end of the evening, there were tons left over.  Well, Daniel loves tamales, and I do, too.  But I can only have tamales for leftovers so many nights!  Daniel suggested that we throw them into a soup, to which I replied, "That's ridiculous!"  We looked online for a tamale soup recipe, and sure enough, there were many.  So I had to eat my words and also the leftover tamales, but this time in a delicious and hearty soup!

Ingredients: 

1 can of black beans

1 can of diced tomatoes

4 cups chicken broth
1 cup onion, diced

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin, ground

1/2 teaspoon  cayenne powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black peppers

4 to 6 frozen tamales (chicken, pork, or beef), cut into bite-size cubes 

1 cup mexican-style cheese, shredded



In a large pot, heat up some vegetable oil and sautee the diced onion and garlic until translucent.  Next add all the other ingredients, except for the tamales and the cheese.  Bring to a simmer while cutting up the tamales.  Last, add the cubed tamale pieces and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.  Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cheese.  I made quesadillas on the side.  Delicioso!