Black Bean Soup (NO CANS!)

I don't eat anything out of a can anymore, so I've learned to soak my black beans and season them for the things I use them in, like soups, salads, pizzas, enchiladas, etc.  It's super easy, and you don't get any of the loaded sodium, additives that some brands include, nor do you have to worry about the BPA in canned and bottled foods and drinks.  This is my own recipe for black bean soup.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Ingredients:
1/2 pound of dry black beans
onion powder (1/4 tsp for soaking, 1/4 tsp for cooking)
celery seed (1/4 tsp for soaking, 1/4 tsp for cooking)
garlic salt (1/4 tsp for soaking)
red pepper (1/4 tsp for soaking, 1/4 tsp for cooking)
ground cumin (1/4 tsp for soaking)
Adobo all-purpose seasoning (1/4 tsp for cooking)
whole cumin seeds (1/2 tsp for cooking)
minced garlic (1/2 tsp for cooking)
1 tomato (diced)
1 red bell pepper (diced)
1/2 large yellow onion (diced) 
chicken broth (1 qt.) I use Pacific Free-Range, low sodium
grape seed oil or olive oil to saute with

Directions for soaking the black beans:
In a medium-sized pot, put 3-4 cups of water, the beans, onion powder, celery seed, garlic salt, red pepper, and ground cumin.  Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat, cover, and let soak for 4 hours.  When you're ready to cook them, drain and rinse them with cold water.

Directions for the soup:
In a large sauce pan, saute the onion, minced garlic, cumin seeds, and bell pepper until lightly browned (about 5 minutes).  Add the broth, beans, tomato, Adobo seasoning, red pepper, onion powder, and celery seed.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook down to the consistency you would like.  I like mine to be thicker, so I let it cook down for a while.