Joybee, What's for Dinner? : Black Bean Soup

A creamy, flavorful, and meatless soup made with black beans and spices. Filling enough for an entree.

(Updated 2/22/16: Tweet-ables, Pin-able image, similar recipes, and minor editing)

As I've mentioned before I keep precooked beans in 2-cup portioned packages in my freezer. They make meals simple and make it easy to get the fiber and nutrition of beans where you can control the amount of salt. Black beans are a good source of iron and potassium with no fat or cholesterol and they are high in fiber and protein too. On top of all the nutrition, they also taste great. This soup made a great dinner for two (with a side of cheese toast) on a cool rainy day, and it was quick and simple to make.

Nutrition of #blackbeans in a #soup Black Bean Soup [Tweet this]

Black Bean Soup

Cook time: under 30 minutes
Servings: 2-4

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 C beans
1/2 C salsa
1 C beef broth
1 Tbsp Jalapeno spice (a blend of dehydrated jalapenos, onion powder, and garlic powder)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt to taste

In a large saucepan over medium heat saute the onion in the oil until soft and translucent. Then add the garlic and cook until fragrant.

Add the beans, salsa, and beef broth and allow to simmer on low heat (covered) for at least 15 minutes (if the beans are frozen when added it will take a bit longer).

Pour half of the soup into a heatproof blender and puree until smooth and creamy (or use a stick blender if you have one). Pour the puree back into the saucepan with the rest of the beans and add the spices and salt to taste. Heat for another 5 minutes and then take off the heat and serve warm.

Serves 2 as an entree or 4 as a side. Top soup with cheese, sour cream, and/or cilantro and serve with a light sandwich or a piece of cheese toast (or maybe a quesadilla) on the side. I also had steamed carrots on the side, use any veggie you like.

Enjoy.