Cuban Black Bean Soup...yeh another one

Yes, another food post, I've really been a little cooking monster recently. Remember this black bean soup I discussed last week? Well, it's not a good every week lunch soup, because it takes too long to fix. However, this soup right here...well - it's a winner. Simple ingredients, simple recipe, great taste. This soup took me about 1 hour to prep and cook - perfect lunch while working from home. Enjoy!

Black Bean Soup from Get Cooking by Mollie Katzen
Makes 4-5 servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red or yellow onion, minced
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Half a medium red bell pepper, minced
1 tablespoon minced or crushed garlic (about 3 good-sized cloves)
1 1/2 taspoons salt
3 15-ounce cans black beans
3 cups water
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
A big handful of cilantro *I omitted
Freshly ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Place a soup pot or a Dutch oven over medium heat. After about a minute, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onion and cumin, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until the onion softens.
2. Add the bell pepper, garlic, and salt, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables  are very soft.
3. Meanwhile, set a colander in the sink and pour in the beans; give them a quick rinse and allow them to drain.
4. Add the beans and the water to the soup pot, and bring to a boil. Then turn the heat all the way down to the lowest possible setting, partially cover, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
5. Use a potato masher or the back of a slotted spoon to mash about half of the soup so it thickens. The soup will become somewhat chunky, not completely smooth. (You can also puree it, if you like, with a blender or immersion blender.) If at any point it seems to have gotten too thick, it's okay to add a little extra water (about 1/4 cup at a time) until it's a consistency you like.
6. Add a tablespoon of the lime juice, and then taste to see if you think it needs the second tablespoon. Use scissor to snip in the cilantro (it's okay if the pieces are a bit rough). Add about 8 grinds of black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes, and then simmer and stir for another minute or two to let the flavors blend. Serve hot, with lime wedges on the side.

I omitted the lime wedges, because I'm not big on garnish when it's just me, and I don't like cilantro, so I left it out. PS - I'm realizing that perhaps mushy soups don't look appetizing in pictures...