Mexican Black Bean and Vegetable Soup - Blue Monday

Food for the body and soul.

There are few foods that come from the kitchen that are more comforting than soup. This Mexican black bean soup is high in fiber and low in fat. It can be enjoyed by vegetarians and carnivores alike. The soup is delicious and it can be assembled quickly. I've scaled the recipe for small families but it can be doubled if you have a gang to feed or want to freeze leftovers. A puree thickens the soup and keeps the use of fats to an absolute minimum. My only caution regards the use of chipotles in the soup. Be judicious if you are unsure of your heat tolerance. The heat will sneak up on you. I've given a range of measurement and you can select the one you are most comfortable with. Bob and I love heat, but not the kind that kills the taste buds when it hits the tongue. I know of folks who do this in competition, hoping it will blunt the ability of judges to really taste the next entries. I've come up with a way to store unused chipotles for a longer period of time. I mash them with the adobo sauce in which they're packed and refrigerate them, tightly covered, for up to 3 months. One teaspoon of the mashed chilies is the equivalent of one chili. I hope you'll find the truc helpful. This is a very straight forward recipe, so let's get to it. Here's how it's done.

Mexican Black Bean And Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup thinly sliced celery

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 to 1 finely chopped canned chipole chile in adobo sauce or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon chipotle paste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 bay leaf

2 cups water

2 cans (14.5-oz. each) canned black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cans (14.5-oz. each) low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

1 can (14.5-oz.) Mexican-style stewed tomatoes

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Optional garnish:

1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt

4 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

4 lime wedges

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1) Heat oil in a large soup pot set over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery and saute until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking until it's fragrance is released. Add chopped chipotle, cumin, basil, oregano, chili powder and bay leaf leaf. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add water, black beans, broth, stewed tomatoes and vinegar.

2) Bring contents of pot to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

3) Remove pot from heat. Discard bay leaf. Place 2 cups of soup mixture in a blender. Let stand for 5 minutes and then process until smooth. Return puree to soup pot and stir until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle 1-1/2 cups soup into each of 4 soup bowls. If using, top each serving with 1 tablespoon yogurt and 1 teaspoon cilantro. Serve with lime wedges. Yield: 4 servings.

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Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

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