After a whirlwind weekend we are finally getting back into the swing of things! My mom, Noah and I celebrated the holiday in Boston! We did it all! Boston Commons, the aquarium, the children’s museum and ate our way around the city! Oh yea, I ran a half marathon too! I ran with one of my closest friends, we had 2+ hours to catch up! It’s sad we need to run a half marathon together to have time to chat!
After coming home from a fast-paced weekend, I decided to make a “slow” meal, cooked with the help of my crock pot!
Black bean soup topped with fresh salsa, crispy corn tortillas and lime…
Soaking beans increases digestibility by decreasing the amount of oligosaccharides, a carbohydrate that may cause gas and bloating. Sometimes I soak my beans, sometimes I don’t…it all depends on how much time I have! I did soak the beans for this recipe to cut down on cooking time and to bring a creamier consistency to the soup.
- 1 pound dry black beans, picked through, soaked overnight and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ white onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder (more if you like it spicy!)
- sea salt to taste
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- fresh salsa
- baked corn tortillas
- lime wedges
- Soak beans overnight in ~10 cups of water, drain, rinse and set aside.
- In a small skillet over medium heat, saute onion in olive oil until translucent.
- Add garlic and saute until fragrant, remove from heat.
- Add beans, sautéed onion/garlic mixture, vegetable broth, water, cumin, paprika and chili powder to crock pot.
- Cook on high for 4 hours then on low for 2 hours or until beans are tender. Add fresh cilantro and sea salt to taste.
- Transfer half of the soup to a food processor/blender and puree until creamy. (you can also use a hand-held immersion blender) Mix back into crock pot with the rest of the soup and stir.
- Serve with fresh salsa, crispy corn chips and lime wedges. You can also top with avocado and hot sauce!
I almost forgot to mention….
Not only is this a super healthy soup, it’s also budget friendly!
Serving up at roughly $2.50 per serving with toppings and all, including fancy fresh made organic salsa!
