Black Bean Soup

Back in college, my friend Dorothea and I made this amazing black bean soup recipe that she found from Food Network. I've made it a few times since then and every time it turns out great. I promise it's easier than it looks!

With soup, I tend to add extra vegetables or seasonings. Soup is pretty hard to mess up, which is why I love making it. Plus, there's always leftovers! 

 Here's what I did:

Chop the following and combine in a large bowl:

1 jalapeno (with seeds)

4 cloves garlic

4 stalks (or ribs) celery with greens

1 large onion

1 red bell pepper

2-3 carrots

**Here is where you could add any extra vegetables you want to use up, or omit any that you don't like**

In a soup pot, add 2 tablespoons EVOO and turn heat to high. I tossed in all the vegetables listed above as well as 2 bay leaves. Then, cook the vegetables over high heat for approx 5-8 minutes.

Next, drain (not rinse) two cans of black beans and add them to the soup pot.

 With the third can of black beans, pour the juice and half the beans into the pot. Use a fork to mash up the remaining beans in the can. This will help thicken the soup. Stir the mashed beans into the pot along with 2 cups of chicken stock and 1 15oz can of diced tomatoes.

 

 The recipe calls for cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. I didn't have some of those seasonings so I used oregano, seasoned salt and pepper. Feel free to experiment with whatever you have on hand. This soup is hard to mess up!

Continue to cook until the vegetables are tender and enjoy! Note: don't forget to remove the bay leaves!

This soup is great because it contains tons of vegetables as well as beans that are high in fiber and protein, but low in fat. It's the perfect healthy soup for a chilly fall day!

Enjoy!

?   What's your favorite fall soup   ?