It’s become a little tradition on The Lunch Tray’s Facebook page to share our Friday night dinner plans, and two weeks ago TLT reader (and real world friend) June asked for my recipe for Black Bean Soup with Lime and Cilantro. I hesitated to post it since, unlike most “TLT’s Table” dishes, this one comes from my head and not a formal recipe. So I can’t promise test-kitchen precision, but I can give you the outlines of an easy, inexpensive and nutritious weeknight meal.
First, a lovely still life of the ingredients. (That plate of chips and fabulous fresh green salsa in the foreground is for the deserving chef to nibble on while cooking.)
OK, now down to business. First, sauté a chopped yellow onion and one half of a jalapeño pepper, diced, (use less jalapeño if your family doesn’t like heat, more if you’re daredevils) in olive oil over medium-high heat until softened. Don’t forget to first remove the white “ribs” inside the jalapeño first, otherwise things will be spicy indeed.
Now add 3 minced garlic cloves and the spices. . . .
This is where things get particularly imprecise but I would say I use about 1 TBS chili powder, 3/4 tsp cumin and 3/4 tsp oregano. Sauté for a minute or two to release the aromas of the spices.
Next add three 15-oz cans of black beans (salt-free preferred) along with their liquid, as well as a 15-oz can of broth (chicken is better but I use vegetable.) By the way, Eden Organic sells black beans in BPA-free cans.
Stir until heated up a bit, and then add fresh cilantro. Again, I don’t have firm measurements except to say: a lot! You can see what I mean from this photo:
Stir a bit and then use a stick blender to blend until smooth. (A traditional blender will get the soup even smoother, but you’ll need to work in several batches — and always be careful when blending hot liquids.)
I personally like a black bean soup with a smooth base and some whole beans, so next I add a fourth can of black beans, this time drained and rinsed.
The soup is going to taste pretty bland right now, particularly if you started with salt-free beans. Now’s the time to use a liberal hand with salt and fresh lime juice, tasting as you go until it’s as flavorful as you like it.
When the soup is fully heated through, serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped avocado, extra lime slices, chopped cilantro – the works!
As with all soups, this will taste even better the next day, if you can plan ahead. I like to round out this meal with some homemade corn bread, which you can easily bake in the time it takes to make the soup.
Enjoy!
[For your convenience, this recipe and all TLT’s Table recipes are compiled under the Recipes tab above.]
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Tammy says
Looks yummy! Can’t wait to try! 🙂
June says
I don’t know if I told you, but I made this for my kids and they LOVED it, even my son who doesn’t much like beans (and we used sheep’s yogurt instead of sour cream, which was super yummy).
Bettina Elias Siegel says
This news makes me very happy! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.