Black Bean Soup with fresh cilantro
Canned beans make preparing this soup a cinch. The spices add great flavor, and pureeing a portion of the soup gives it a wonderful creamy consistency without adding any cream. Garnish with fat-free sour cream or Greek yogurt.
Serves: 6 (makes about 8 cups)
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 carrots, peeled and sliced, or 2 cups sliced and peeled baby-cut carrots
- ¼ cup diced red bell pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano or dried basil (ground or whole leaves)
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- Two 19-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 5 cups fat-free low-sodium stock (vegetable or beef) or water
- 1 cup low-sodium V-8 juice or tomato juice
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to tasteChopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Preparation:
Heat the oil in a 6-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the carrots, red bell pepper, garlic, cumin, oregano, and chili powder and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the beans, stock, and V-8 juice and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.
Allow the soup to cool slightly; then puree 3 cups of it in a blender or food processor (if you have an immersion blender this would be a great time to use it). Return the pureed soup to the saucepan, stir, and adjust the seasoning. Add the cilantro and optional garnish; then serve immediately.
Nutrition information per serving (Serving size 1 ⅓ cup): 208 calories, 11g protein, 5.3g fat, .4g sat fat, 0mg cholesterol, 30g carbs, 10g fiber, 599mg sodium
For more food and nutrition information please contact Donna Wheeler.
