Mexican Black Bean Soup

2 cups dried black beans
8 cups water
1 white onion, finely diced
Salt to taste (smoked, if possible)
½ cup crumbled Mexican queso fresco or feta cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
4 corn tortillas, sliced into ⅛-inch-wide strips and fried until crisp, or ⅓ cup corn chips, crumbled into large pieces, for garnish

This is a simple, flavorful, nutritious one-pot meal.

Thoroughly wash the beans and place them, along with the water and onion, in the slow cooker insert. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours, or until the beans are tender.
Using a handheld immersion blender, purée some of the beans to thicken the soup. (How much you purée depends on how much texture you’d like remaining in the soup.)
Add salt to taste, then ladle into bowls. Top each serving with some crumbled cheese, a sprinkle of cilantro, and some tortilla strips.