This time of year, we want convenience. You’re tired, you’re shopping, and ALERT! you’re probably not eating well! Take the 30 minutes it takes to make this soup and heal yourself, and your family. My kids always thought they didn’t like soup, until….soup was dinner, no other choices! And, you know what, they don’t even blink now. They love this one. It’s smooth and creamy and goes great with some freshly baked bread, like my pumpkin cranberry bread and a salad. This was also awesome with a bean/walnut loaf I made recently (recipe soon).
Pumpkin Cranberry Bread
There is NO fat in this recipe. We water sauté our veggies to cut back on unnecessary fats. Black beans are a virtually fat free, protein and fiber packed food. Because they are a plant-based form of protein, there’s also NO cholesterol (cholesterol comes from animal sources of protein/fat). This is what is called a nutrient dense, not calorie dense food. By pureeing the soup we create a thick, creamy soup that is very filling and satisfying through the addition of warming spices like ginger, garlic, and cumin. You can leave the soup whole if you prefer (we thick it’s way more satisfying pureed though).
We make our own beans because we feel they taste better, we can control the sodium, purchase organically in bulk, and no BPA-lined cans to get rid of. If you don’t want to make your own, use canned organic (as a note, they will still come in BPA-lined cans, unless noted). I do highly recommend you make your own beans, as they’re so easy to make. The best, and most time efficient way to make them is in a pressure cooker. I love the Fagor brand.
Serves 6; I’d recommend doubling for the week
Ingredients:
- 1 cup black beans (soaked at least 8 hours or overnight, and then cooked-total of 3 cups cooked (or 2 cans of black beans, rinsed and drained)
- 1 cup small diced onion
- 1 cup celery
- 1 cup small diced carrot
- 1 tbsp fresh minced ginger
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 cups chopped mushrooms
- 1 tsp kosher/sea salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 4 cups water/broth/bean cooking liquid
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Fresh parsley/cilantro/sprouts to top for serving
Instructions:
- Heat pot and add onion, celery, carrot, ginger, garlic, coriander, & cumin along with a little water to sauté, adding more if needed to prevent sticking until onions have softened.
- While the vegetables are cooking, dice the mushrooms. Then add these along with the cooked black beans and stock to the vegetables. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat. Simmer until all vegetables are tender about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth and transfer each batch to a clean pot. You may need to add more stock if desired. While soup is reheating over a low simmer, chop the cilantro/parsley and set aside.
- Add lemon juice to soup and season with sea salt/pepper to taste.
- Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with freshly chopped parsley/cilantro or sprouts, and freshly cracked black pepper.
Nutritional Benefits:
- High in fiber, 9 g/serving: great for digestive health, regulating blood sugar (controlling diabetes), and increasing satiety
- High in plant-based protein, 9g/serving: great for repairing and rebuilding tissues
- Fat free-there’s no added fat in this recipe at all. Including no cholesterol, since this is a plant-based recipe
- Good source of Vitamin A: 52% daily needs, important for skin, eye, hair, bone, and dental health as well as being an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
- Good source of potassium, important in regulating nervous and kidney function, as well as blood pressure/heart rate
- Vegan/plant-based and gluten free-decreases inflammation in body
- 1 cup black beans (soaked at least 8 hours or overnight, and then cooked-total of 3 cups cooked (or 2 cans of black beans, rinsed and drained)
- 1 cup small diced onion
- 1 cup celery
- 1 cup small diced carrot
- 1 tbsp fresh minced ginger
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 cups chopped mushrooms
- 1 tsp kosher/sea salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 4 cups water/broth/bean cooking liquid
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Fresh parsley/cilantro/sprouts to top for serving
- Heat pot and add onion, celery, carrot, ginger, garlic, coriander, & cumin along with a little water to sauté, adding more if needed to prevent sticking until onions have softened.
- While the vegetables are cooking, dice the mushrooms. Then add these along with the cooked black beans and stock to the vegetables. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat. Simmer until all vegetables are tender about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth and transfer each batch to a clean pot. You may need to add more stock if desired. While soup is reheating over a low simmer, chop the cilantro/parsley and set aside.
- Add lemon juice to soup and season with sea salt/pepper to taste.
- Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with freshly chopped parsley/cilantro or sprouts and freshly cracked black pepper.
Thanks for sharing my black bean soup!