Black Bean Soup

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Halve, peel, and medium dice the onion. Thinly slice the scallions, separating the white bottoms and hollow green tops. Grate the gouda on the large side of a box grater. Quarter the lime. Cut off and discard the stem of the pepper. Halve lengthwise; remove the ribs and seeds, then medium dice. Thoroughly wash your hands, knife, and cutting board immediately after handling. In a bowl, combine the sour cream and the juice of 2 lime wedges. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired.

In a medium pot, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the diced onion, sliced white bottoms of the scallions, and diced pepper; season with salt, pepper, and the spice blend. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until softened.

Add the tomatillo sauce (carefully, as the liquid may splatter) and black beans (including the liquid). Cook, stirring occasionally and mashing the beans with the back of a spoon (or potato masher), 1 to 2 minutes, or until thickened. Add the broth and 1/2 cup of water; season with salt and pepper. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Turn off the heat.

Meanwhile, place the tortillas on a work surface. Top one half of each tortilla with the grated gouda and cheddar and monterey jack; season with salt and pepper. Fold the tortillas in half over the filling. In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the quesadillas. Cook 2 to 4 minutes per side, or until lightly browned and the cheese is melted (if the pan seems dry, add a drizzle of olive oil before flipping). Transfer to a cutting board; immediately season with salt. When cool enough to handle, carefully halve each quesadilla. Serve the soup garnished with the sliced green tops of the scallions and lime sour cream. Serve the quesadillas and remaining lime wedges on the side. Enjoy!