Super Foods Blog

Super Foods Soup: Spicy Black Bean

Spicy Black Bean Soup Recipe

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 cup chopped sweet potato
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup chopped basil
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
red wine
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped jalapeño chile with seeds, divided
2 15- to 16-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed to eliminate salt
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 gallon low-salt chicken broth
Chopped fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, and crumbled feta cheese

Preparation:
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Deglaze with a splash of red wine. Mix in herbs and spices and 1 teaspoon jalapeño. Add beans, tomatoes with juice, and broth; bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer 3 cups of soup to blender and puree until smooth or use a hand-held blender directly in the pot, but do not puree all the beans. Return puree to pot. Simmer soup until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon jalapeño, if desired.
Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with cilantro, green onions, and/or feta. Serve with whole-grain bread.

Benefits:
The greatest benefit of this soup is the use of the black beans. Beans are a Superfood wonder, naturally low-fat protein source that helps to control blood sugar fluctuations and an increased insulin response. Beans also lower cholesterol and help to fight hypertension. The carrots and sweet potato work on your eye health with their punch of beta-carotene. As a food, soup is an excellent dietary meal. Soup slows the speed with which you eat, helping with weight loss and Type II diabetes.

Tags