Tasty Tuesday!

Spicy Black Bean Soup with Lime and Cilantro

     Spring weather is sort of coming to Maryland. There is some confusion though. One day will be in the 70's or 80's and then the next day it will be 50 degrees! I'm tired of waiting. Since the weather is still cold I was craving soup (which is typically a cold weather dish) but we are supposedly knee deep in spring so I also wanted a few tastes of warm weather at the same time. Enter the Spicy Black Bean Soup with Lime and Cilantro. Black beans, lime, cilantro, all warm weather type foods....in soup form! The best of both screwed up weather pattern worlds.

     This is a really quick soup. One you can make in about 15 minutes or less. This is also a really light soup with a small serving suggestion so it isn't really something you would want to serve at a pot luck. Oh, and don't be fooled by the name. It really isn't that spicy. Plus, the spice and yogurt compliment each other nicely so don't be a wimp and leave the jalapeño out. Enjoy!

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped rough
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped rough
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cups cooked black beans (roughly 1 can plus a little extra for garnish)
• 2 cups fat free low sodium chicken stock
• Lime juice, to taste
• 1/4 cup plain non-fat Greek-style yogurt
• 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1. Heat a large pot over medium high heat. Add the oil and sweat the onion for 1 minute.

        

    2.  Add the garlic, jalapeño, and cumin and continue cooking for 1 minute.

                          

  3. Add the beans, chicken stock, and cream and bring to the simmer. Let simmer for 5 minutes and transfer soup to a blender. Working in batches, puree the soup until you reach the desired consistency. I kept mine slightly chunky with the beans still relatively intact. Return to a medium saucepot on medium heat.

                       

  4. Season the soup to taste with salt, pepper, and lime juice.                        

  5. Ladle the soup into serving bowls, drizzle some yogurt over the soup and garnish with the chopped cilantro and remaining black beans.

Cut the onion into small chunks. You don't have to finely dice it. It's eventually going into a blender.

Chop the jalapeño and garlic using your sweet Santoku knife

The mighty jalapeño...I'm unfazed.

Add the chicken stock to the pot

Add the beans.

Add the soup to the blender and pulse until the mixture reaches the desired consistency

Take care of yourself and each other.