A Warming and Filling Black Bean Soup http://ift.tt/11L8tfu

The following post was written by Alysia Lowe, PHD, who blogs at Slim Sanity and is part of POPSUGAR Select Fitness.

I'm so desperate for it to feel like Fall. I know it's technically Fall, so I've been doing "Fall things" even though it's still upper 80s here in Dallas.

I've been wearing my cowboy boots, carving pumpkins, wearing scarves . . .

And making soup. Chili-like soup. Or maybe we'll just call it chili. With black beans!

I guess in Texas it wouldn't be called chili, it'd just be called black bean soup. Did you know that no one down here puts beans in chili? I think it's so strange! We'd always put beans in our chili back in Wisconsin. Although, we'd usually load it up with so much cheese on top you probably wouldn't notice there were beans in it.

So typical, us Cheeseheads.

I used canned organic black beans that I've been purchasing from Costco for this recipe. But you could use dried beans just as easily!

Want to use dried black beans? Here is how you can do it:

Place 2 cups dried black beans in a heavy soup pan. Add 6 cups of water. Let soak for 10 hours or overnight. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or so, until beans are tender. Place beans in a strainer and rinse. Use as you would canned beans!

So I know I didn't put any meat in this recipe, which was kinda silly, because half the time when I ate it I put shredded chicken with fajita seasoning in it.

Do whatever you want with it. Just know that it is delicious either way!

Ingredients:

2 16-oz. cans black beans, thoroughly rinsed

1/2 red onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

6 carrots, halved and diced

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 16-oz. can reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon garlic salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Place carrots in a bowl with a lid. Add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 teaspoons cumin, onion powder, and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, stirring/flipping every 5 minutes.


2. While veggies are roasting, sauté red onion and garlic in a large soup pan with 1 tablespoon oil.


3. Puree 1 cup black beans and 1/2 cup chicken broth together. Set aside.


4. Once onions are translucent, add chicken broth, water, bean puree, remaining beans, roasted carrots, and remaining seasonings. Simmer 8-10 minutes.

from POPSUGAR Fitness http://ift.tt/1ybglDK