Recipes

Southwest Black Bean Soup

Pairs Well With

10 generous servings

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ t olive oil
2 T ground cumin
1 T ground coriander
¼ to ½ t cayenne (I used ½ t red pepper flakes)
3 cans low sodium black beans
6 cups beef or vegetable broth, low or fat free
3 cups chopped carrots
½ cup long-grain rice
Salt & pepper
Nonfat sour cream
Cilantro sprigs, rinsed

Preparation

In a 5-6 qt non-stick pan over medium heat add the olive oil, onion and garlic. Sauté until onion is limp, 5-8 minutes. Add spices and stir for 30 seconds.

Drain and rinse 2 cans of beans. Add to pan along with broth, carrots and rice. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots and rice are tender to bite, about 15-20 minutes.

In a blender, puree soup, a portion at a time, until smooth. Return soup to pan and add last can of drained & rinsed beans. Stir over medium heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. I found I had to add about 2 more cups of broth to the soup or else it would have been too thick.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with sour cream and cilantro.