Oh, the weather outside is FREEEEEEZING!! I do not know what the weather is like in your area, but here in the Midwest it is downright cold! What is the perfect cure for the frigid chills that so many of us are currently suffering from? Why, soup, of course!
Spicy Black Bean Soup
*Slightly adapted from this recipe from Iowa Girl Eats.
Servings: Approximately 3
Ingredients
water, for cooking
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
paprika, a pinch
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
2 cans seasoned black beans, drained but not rinsed (per Kristin’s recipe, I used Trader Joe’s Cuban Style Black Beans)
2 1/2 to 3 cups of water
2 to 3 tsp Better Than Bouillon vegetable soup base
hot sauce, to taste (I used about 8-10 dashes)
salsa, optional
shredded cheese/”cheese,” optional
These are some good beans! If you do not live near a Trader Joe’s, Mrs. Grimes Seasoned Black Beans will work just fine.
Directions
1. Line a large soup pot or dutch oven with a thin layer of water. Heat the water over medium-high heat until very hot.
2. Lower the heat to medium and saute the onions, peppers, and garlic for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until they have softened. Add additional water, as needed.
3. Add in chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir until well-combined and cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
4. Stir in the beans, water, vegetable base, and hot sauce to the soup pot. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil.
5. Once the soup is boiling, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
6. Scoop out two to three ladles-full of the soup (depending on how thick you want the soup to be), and blend with an immersion blender.
7. Once blended, add the soup back into the pot and stir well.
8. Simmer an additional 3-5 minutes.
9. Top with optional toppings, including salsa and cheese/”cheese.”
I served my Spicy Black Bean Soup in my new soup bowl. I am pretty certain that my soup bowl made it taste even that much better ;).
I stirred two tablespoons of salsa into my soup and topped it with pepper jack Daiya vegan “cheese.” The added spicy kick of the salsa combined with the melted “cheese,” made for an absolutely delicious combination. I also added some saltine crackers to my bowl about half-way through because who can really eat soup without crackers? 😉
This is a very easy-to-make, protein-packed soup. It definitely has a spicy kick to it, so if you are not very fond of spicy food, I would suggest scaling back on the spices and hot sauce a bit. No matter what your spice preference is though, you need to make this soup. Just make it to your taste buds’ liking!
