recipe: black bean soup

I told you I wouldn't wait long for soup!

I left for Bible study at 9 this morning (ok, fine, 9:15. We were a little late!). It was chilly enough that I wore jeans and a cardigan, which got me super excited that fall is definitely knocking on our door.

This is one of my family's favorite recipe... and by family, I mean my husband and son, but as this originated in my mother's kitchen, it's a favorite there, too. Loved by all.

The health benefits of this soup are phenomenal, as it is a recipe from the Clean Eating Cookbook by Tosca Reno (page 71, by the way!). If you're familiar with the magazine Oxygen, then you know who I'm talking about :)

Packed with protein and vegetables, this soup is loaded with flavor and has just enough "comfort" qualities to make you forget you're eating healthy! Most fall and winter soups are loaded with heavy cream (I'll get to those too, DON'T YOU WORRY), but this one doesn't. It can even be vegetarian if you want it to be!

This takes very little time to put together (about 30 minutes from start to finish, depending on how fast you chop veggies), so you don't even have to make it ahead of time if you don't want to. It does freeze wonderfully though, which is great since I always double the batch and keep individual sized containers in my freezer :)

Ok, so it's fabulously healthy until you load it up with shredded cheese.

Here's what you need:

2 ribs celery
1 large carrot
1 small red onion
1 red pepper 
1 green pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp chili powder
4 cups chicken OR vegetable stock
2 15 oz cans of black beans
1 15 oz canned diced tomatoes
1 cup of corn (fresh if you can get it!)
salt and pepper

Here's how to do it:

• Chop your veggies. Don't worry about making it all perfectly tiny, since you're going to puree it later.
• Heat a bit of oil in a large saute pan or stock pot. Add celery, carrot, onion, and peppers to the pan. Saute until onion is translucent (about 5 minutes).
• Add garlic and spices. Saute a bit longer (about 2 minutes).
• Add stock, beans, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Using an immersion blender or a regular blender, puree until your soup is smooth, or the texture you'd like.
• Add corn. Cook for a couple more minutes, then serve with cheese or Greek yogurt :)