Black Bean Soup

I made some fantastic black bean soup a while back and thought I'd share the tasty recipe.  I adapted this recipe to suit our family's needs (mainly I left out the chiles, because spicy food makes my two year old cry). 

Black Bean Soup:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 red onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 teaspoons ground cumin
1 16-ounce package dried black beans
1 tablespoon chopped canned chipotle chiles (optional, leave them out if you don't want spicy)
7 cups hot water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons  salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and both bell peppers and sauté for about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cumin; stir 1 minute. Transfer mixture to 6-quart slow cooker. Add beans and chipotles, then 7 cups hot water. Cover and cook on high until beans are very tender, about 6 hours. Transfer 2 cups bean mixture to blender; puree until smooth. Return puree to remaining soup in slow cooker. Stir in lime juice, salt, and pepper.  Top with a dollop of sour cream and serve with tortilla chips.  Enjoy!

Stove Top Chili - FAST

This isn't my normal "cook all day" chili, but it was a pretty tasty substitute.  I had to make a pretty quick dinner one night, and already had some ground beef thawing, so I whipped up some yummy chili using a few shortcuts in just about 30 minutes.  Here's what you'll need:

1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
2 cans Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chilis)
1 can tomatoes
2 cans beans ( I used pinto, but you can use whatever you'd like)
2 cups frozen corn
2 tablespoons dehydrated onions
1 tablespoon dehydrated garlic
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp dried parsley
1-2 tsp salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (I know weird...but trust me)

Brown the beef (season with a little salt and pepper) and then add in the onions and garlic.  Cook for about 1 minute and add in the rest of the ingredients.  Simmer for about 20 minutes, taste and add any additional seasonings it may need.  Serve with sour cream and/or shredded cheddar cheese and enjoy!

Lentil Soup with Wheat Berries and Beets

The only soup I can get away with making in my house is a hearty soup, with lots of substance.  Rarely would I make soup without meat in it, but this soup is so hearty, that you don't even miss it.  It's perfect on cold, rainy day (which I'm thinking we'll have many more of until mid-June).  

1 1/2 cups lentils (rinsed)
1 1/2 cups cooked wheat berries
1 1/2 cups corn
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large beet diced
3 celery stalks diced
1/2 onion diced
2 carrots diced
8 cups water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp Kirklands no salt seasoning (or any other seasoning mix you would like to use)

Saute all of the vegetables in olive oil for 5 minutes, add the lentils, water, and spices.  Bring to a boil, and reduce the heat and add in the wheat berries and corn.  Simmer for about 30 minutes.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream and enjoy!

Corn chowder

I LOVE corn chowder, but hadn't ever attempted to make it, mainly because I just don't make a lot of soup.  So when I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I decided to go for it.  I sort of followed the recipe.  I used turkey bacon instead of canadian bacon, and also added chopped spinach (I always add extra veggies if I have them on hand).  I also just boiled a couple of potatoes on the stove top and mashed them instead of in the microwave.  I cooked the turkey bacon first, put it aside and then put the chopped veggies in the same pan and then followed the rest of the recipe.