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Ok friends, we’re getting to the point in our relationship where I feel like I can be real with you. The honeymoon phase is over and we can start getting into the nitty gritty of it. The details that make a relationship really blossom. I really, really like football. I mean you know this about me already because I made these chocolate shortbread football cookies and then these cheddar chicken bites perfect for football’s biggest night.

What you probably don’t know about me is my abject love for all things college basketball. I was raised on Carolina blue and white and remember watching basketball with my dad from a young age. It was probably the only sport I really enjoyed and understood while teenage me was trying to decide if girls were even supposed to like sports.

Luckily teenage me turned into adult me who really didn’t care whether girls were supposed to like sports or not. Because I loooooooove them. I tend to lean towards college sports and so I’m all about the football and then, when my brother started playing, lacrosse. But my first and biggest love will always be college hoops. And when we get into tournament time my nerdy, basketball lover side really takes over.

Every year I worked a 9-5 job I took vacation the first week of the tournament so I could stay home and watch every single game they played on TV. Every. Single. One. If my bracket wasn’t shredded after day one I was a happy camper. If my former boss is reading this she now knows that I wasn’t on a family vacation. Unless you count my boys in blue as family… Sorry, June!

But what every sports lover from now until the end of time will tell you is that a good game day needs good food and good drinks. This black bean soup is good food and the Black Box Merlot I used in it {and love to drink with it} is a good drink. I love Black Box for so many reasons. It’s 4 bottles of wine in one box. Uh, hello! Genius! It stays good for up to six weeks, it’s won over fifty — that’s 5-0 — gold medals for quality, the packaging is 100% recyclable, it’s cheaper than comparable wine in the bottle, it’s super portable making it perfect for game day, and there’s no annoying cork to mess with! Need I say more? This stuff is amazing!

So I mixed a little into my black bean soup for a depth of flavor that will have you coming back for a bowl of this again and again. Serve it up with a nice glass of Black Box Merlot and a hunk of good crusty bread to soak up all the black bean goodness and you’re good to go. And don’t forget all your favorite toppings like shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, and avocado, too.

Need some more ideas? Get inspired with one of these awesome game day recipes!

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Black Bean Soup

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

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Ingredients

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs flour
• 3 15 oz cans black beans
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup Black Box Merlot

Optional Toppings:

• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Sour cream
• Avocado
• Salsa

Instructions

1. In the bottom of a Dutch oven heat olive oil and sautee onion until translucent, then add garlic and sautee until fragrant. Add flour and stir constantly until browned.
2. Add black beans, liquid and all, and scrape bottom to release any stuck on bits. Add broth and Merlot and stir well.
3. Bring to a boil and let boil for 10 minutes.
4. Reduce to a simmer and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Using an immersion blender, blend soup leaving some beans whole.
6. Serve immediately with optional toppings.