Now I Know Why They Use Black Beans For Soup

Because brown beans aren't pretty.

I used the leftover pinto beans from my lamb shanks to make a bean soup, simply whirling them with a tad of extra water in a blender. The beans had absorbed lovely flavor layers from the onions, shallots, carrots, bay leaves, broth, and lamb, so the soup was mighty good, thick and smooth and hearty.

But homely, just mid-brown and boring, like milk chocolate pudding. Even the dab of tzatziki I added didn't do much to make it look pretty, although it did add a nice, fresh flavor and a little texture to the slow-cooked savor of the beans.

Next time, perhaps I'll try the black beans with the lamb shanks, just for fun. Then I'd get pretty soup.