UPDATED 2/28/16: I’ve updated a few of the pictures on this page to reflect my new (and hopefully improved) photography skills! I made this soup for lunch today, and was reminded of how much I really like it. I substituted one packet of Goya Sazon for a change, and I highly recommend it!
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Blizzard update, day 2: there is a whole bunch of snow outside. Diran has now been shoveling for almost 3 hours, with not more than a few minutes of a coffee break. There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight, either. I, on the other hand, have been inside, pretending to clean and cooking. Eventually, I figured we would need to eat lunch. Since I can only imagine how cold Diran is, I decided to make some soup (at least I’m being thoughtful!).
Part of the problem with cooking in a blizzard is that you can’t leave the house to get ingredients. Unfortunately, I realized that it’s pretty slim pickings in our fridge. I searched, and came across the last of some baby carrots, half of an onion, and some garlic. Basically, the base of almost every soup I make–a good start. In the pantry, we had a lot of black beans, so…there you have it. We’re having black bean soup.
I like black bean soup because it tastes really good, it’s healthy, and it’s filling. Plus, it’s one of the few things that I always have the ingredients to make. It’s also really easy. It’s actually cooking away on the stove as I type this post. All of these attributes make it a good blizzard meal.
Here’s how I did it.
Add chopped onion, carrots, and garlic to some oil in a pot and sauté.
Add black beans and chicken broth.
Add spices.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Use an immersion blender to puree.
Serve, garnished with sour cream.
Black Bean Soup
Serves: 2-4 (2-3 as a meal, 4 as an appetizer)
Prep and Cook time: about 30 minutes, total
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
About 10 baby carrots, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 15.5 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5 oz can chicken broth
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon)
optional: 1 tablespoon chia seeds
optional garnishes: sour cream, shredded cheese
Heat the oil in a medium sized pot for about a minute. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic, and stir. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes until fragrant and the onions become a little translucent. Add the beans, chicken broth, and spices. Stir. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer, simmering for about 20 minutes uncovered.
Turn off the heat. If you have an immersion blender, use that to puree the soup almost completely. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender, pureeing in batches (be careful!). Once pureed, you can stir in chia seeds (if desired. I had them, so I added them. You can’t taste them).
Serve with sour cream or cheese as a garnish.
Change it up:
Change it up:
- Substitute one packet of Goya Sazon for all of the other spices in this recipe (cumin, coriander, chili powder). The soup will have a slightly different flavor, but will still be just as delicious!
I love your blog. I made the tomato soup today after we shoveled (third time I made it!) and I can't wait to try this one, with my new immersion blender that I got for Christmas. 🙂
Thanks, Tahleen! Diran seemed to like it, so I hope you do too!!