College Diet: Black Bean Soup

One of my favorite leftovers is this black bean soup recipe. It’s a classic that my mom used to make and submitted in a variety of our church and school cookbooks. I’ll give you the “official” recipe, and then the college student version. 🙂

BLACK BEAN SOUP:

Ingredients:

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp bottled minced garlic

2 cups water

1/2 tsp chipotle chile powder

3 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

8 oz bottle salsa

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic; saute for 1 minute. Stir in water, chipotle powder, beans and salsa. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute. Place 3 cups black bean mixture in blender; process until smooth. Return pureed mixture to pan. Stir in lime juice; simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Yield: 4 servings

BLACK BEAN SOUP (FOR COLLEGE KIDS THAT DON’T HAVE FANCY INGREDIENTS AND DESPISE WASHING DISHES):

Come on- fresh cilantro? Who has that? And I am not washing black bean skins out of the blender. This is my version. It’s a little different every time I make it. Right now, I have a ton of tomatoes and bell peppers from my little container garden (check out my “Urban Agriculture” post), so I use those instead of canned salsa. I’ve tried doubling the recipe, but my pot nearly overflowed last time so I wouldn’t suggest it unless you’ve got a giant pot. Feel free to change to fit your tastes. 🙂

Ingredients:

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp bottled minced garlic

2 cups water

Chipotle chile powder or ground cayenne pepper, to taste

Garlic powder, to taste

Onion powder, to taste

Dried oregano, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

3 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

8 oz bottle salsa or 2 cups diced fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions

1 Tbsp lime juice

Mexican blend shredded cheese

Sour cream

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic; saute for 1 minute. (If you are using fresh tomatoes, peppers, and onions, add them to the pot and allow them to cook down for 1-2 minutes.) Stir in water, spices (I add a couple shakes of each and continue adding as the soup simmers until it doesn’t taste like it’s missing something), and salsa (if you are using salsa instead of fresh vegetables). In a small cereal bowl, mash the black beans with a fork and then add to the saucepan (and skip the blender). Bring soup to a boil and add lime juice; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with Mexican cheese and sour cream. Refrigerate the leftovers and enjoy them for tomorrow’s lunch!