Tomato soup from a can - a recession proof recipe

Now, this doesn't sound fancy or even very good from the post title alone...but trust me, homemade soup has never tasted so good and been so easy to make! We were out for dinner the other night and paid $6.99 for a bowl of soup at a restaurant in our town. The soup tasted quite good and was homemade but I figured I could make the same thing for $6.99 and get about 10 times the quantity. The result? A perfect replica (just better)! And my costs were only $6.82 - Not bad.

Tomato and Black Bean Soup
Ingredients & Preparation:
Serves approx. 8-10 for a first course

• one 1.36L can of low sodium tomato juice ($1.49)
  
• one can of organic whole tomatoes, including juice ($2.69)
  
• one can of sliced carrots (.99)
  
• 1/2 large onion, diced (.30)
  
• 1/2 a can of black beans, rinsed ($1.00)
  
• Approx. 2 tablespoons of parsley, dried ($.05)
• Salt & pepper to taste (I used my Salish smoked salt for a little extra flavour) ($.05)
  
• olive oil (.25)

First things first - saute the onions in the olive oil until soft, add carrots and black beans just for a minute or two. Meanwhile, pour the tomato juice and whole tomatoes (including the juices and seeds) into a big pot. Smoosh the tomatoes with a potato masher or use a handheld mixer to break them up but don't puree. Add the salt, pepper and parsley. Next, add the 3 ingredients from the other pan. Mix together. Bring up to a low boil and then simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve with crusty bread.

Delicious!