Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 lb (about 2 cups) dried black beans, soaked overnight and drained
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (or water)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 bell pepper (any color), diced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
• Juice of 1 lime
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Soak the dried black beans in plenty of water overnight. Drain and rinse the beans before using. You can also use canned here instead if you’re short on time.
2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, carrot, celery, and bell pepper. Sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Stir in the cumin, paprika, oregano, and bay leaf. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
4. Add the soaked (if using canned, wait to add beans and see step 5) black beans, vegetable broth (or water), and diced tomatoes to the pot. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer, uncovered, for about 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the beans are tender. Stir occasionally and check the soup for seasoning. *If using canned beans, cook tomatoes in vegetable broth first for 30 minutes first, then add canned beans and cook for another 20 minutes.
6. Once the beans are tender, remove the bay leaf. For a smoother texture, use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup, leaving some beans whole. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro (if using). Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Nutrition:

• Servings per Recipe: 6
• Serving Size: 1 cup
• Calories: 175; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: 0.5 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Sodium: 25 mg (assuming no additional salt is added); Total Carbohydrate: 30 g; Dietary Fiber: 10g; Sugars: 3 g; Protein: 10 g